Distortion
by LordHellPhoenix
Summary: When Jaune Arc's life goes to hell, he's desperate to gain back what he lost. But what's the point? In this world, the weak die and the strong survive. Those are the rules. So, will Jaune die holding onto the light or will he survive as someone else, something darker? (Coverart by Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh)
1. How Things Change

Distortion

How did it all change? That's the question RWBY and the remainder of JNPR have been asking themselves for a year now. They asked the question but they knew the answer, they just didn't want to accept it.

A little over a year ago, Cardin 'let slip' that Jaune's transcripts were fake. As most would think, everyone turned against him, hated him and wanted him gone. Jaune accepted this and tried to move past it. But it wasn't until he lost what was important to him that things got too much for him to handle. First, Team RWBY shunned him for their own reasons. Weiss was the first, followed by Yang and Blake and finally Ruby. After that, Ren and Nora started to do the same, they felt betrayed by the person that was supposed to lead them. Pyrrha stood by him for weeks. Until eventually she also started to distance herself, at first it was subtle but soon it was exactly like the others. It was then that Jaune was alone.

He started to try to distance himself from them as well. Whether to give them space or just to avoid the hurtful looks they gave him was unknown. He'd arrive to class just before the bell would ring and stay until everyone left. He started to eat alone, study in the back of the library and even spent any and all free time anywhere besides Beacon. He even started to wait until his team was asleep before returning to his dorm and made sure to leave before any of them awoke. On top of that, Cardin and his team made sure to remind him of just how lowly he was. Soon, he had enough. He was going to prove them all wrong. The school, the students, CRDL, RWBY, his team and most of all, himself. He was going to show all of them that he was worthy of going to Beacon. So late that night, he took his gear and ventured into the Emerald Forest.

It was midday the next day, Pyrrha was worried. Even though she was distant from Jaune, she still worried for him. She would pretend to be asleep until she was sure Jaune returned then she would let herself sleep. Jaune never came back the night before. He also hadn't been to any of their classes so far. She finally asked the others if they had seen him. None of them did. Weiss suggested that he finally decided to leave. Pyrrha countered by saying all his belongings were still in their room. Yang suggested he was just off in Vale. No one disagreed. They assumed he'd be back by the end of the day. He wasn't.

Jaune was gone for a week before RWBY and NPR were brought to Ozpin's office. They had been looking for Jaune after they realized he was missing. They eventually told the Professors and they helped with the search. They were hoping that this would be the news they were hoping for. As soon as the elevator open Pyrrha ran in, "Have you found him, Professor?"

Ozpin looked up to her, he had a very grim look in his eyes. "In a way." He said.

The others were in front of his desk with Pyrrha at this point. They looked to see a cloth hiding something on his desk. Before they could ask, Ozpin took hold of the cloth and slowly pulled it off. What they saw made them all gasp. It was Crocea Mors. Or what was left of it. The shield was bent and twisted, barely looking like a shield anymore. The sword was just as damaged. The blade was shattered into at least a dozen pieces. Both also had blood on them, human blood. "We found these in the Emerald Forest. This was all we could find with his scroll. We couldn't find his body." Was all Ozpin said.

Ruby fell to her knees and started to cry. Yang was right there, holding her and trying to hold back her own tears, but failing. Blake was looking down also crying. Weiss had turned from everyone else and had her hand over her mouth, crying as much as the others. Nora started balling and Ren pulled her into a hug as he cried silently. Pyrrha took hold of the hilt of Crocea Mors before her tears fell onto it. They all may have been hurt or upset with Jaune, but none of them wanted this. To lose someone who was so pure and acted like a light in the dark. And the ones to blame were themselves.

* * *

That was a year ago. They tried to move on the best they could but his death still weighed on all of them. They couldn't even say his name. The pain was too unbearable. The pain of loss mixed with their own guilt and regrets. Nothing and no one could fix that.

Today was different though. All the second years and above were summoned to the arena for an announcement. Ozpin was standing in the center with Goodwitch, he spoke up "I thank you all for coming today. We are here for a special event. An 'old' student has returned to prove himself and return to this school. He will fight against a team of his choosing. If he wins, he'll be welcomed back. But should he lose, he will be removed from the grounds immediately." Everyone started to talk about this development. This had never happened before and they were wondering who was this person and who was the team.

"First, introducing Team CRDL." Ozpin said this and out came CRDL from the locker rooms. No one cheered. They were still bullies and jerks. Most of the students were hoping for them to be put in their place. "And their opponent. Are you ready?" Ozpin turned to the other door and out walked their opponent. He was tall and built. Not buff but very toned. He wore black boots, pants, long sleeve shirt that went up his neck and gloves. He had blood red armor on top of this. Vambracers, rerebraces, cuisses, greaves and chest plate. To finish this outfit, was a black, sleeveless trench-coat with a hood with red markings that started at his chest and over his shoulders leading down to the bottom of the coat. The hood was up, so no one saw his face. He had what appeared to be a longsword across his back in a black sheathe. The hilt, cross guard and pommel were black with blood red accents, like his armor. He stopped across from CRDL and everyone just stared at him. He reached up to his hood and pulled it off his head causing everyone to gasp.

This man turned out to be no other than the dead student, Jaune Arc. His hair was slightly longer and now it was black besides the tips, they were still blonde. He had a scar that started above his lip and ran down the right side of his lip and stopped at his chin. His eyes were still the same blue but they were cold. He smiled at CRDL but it was a smile devoid of humor or happiness. It just filled people with unease. "Are you ready, Mr. Arc." Ozpin asked.

It took a few seconds before Jaune turned to him and answered, "As I ever will be, Professor." He said with his usual happy tone.

Ozpin and Goodwitch stepped to the side and the timer started to count down from sixty. Cardin soon spoke up, "Wow. Thought you were dead, Arc." He said with a sneer.

Jaune chuckled but like his smile it was devoid of humor. "You're gonna wish I was." He says coldly before he draws his sword. Which they could all see now that it was a flamberge, the blade was black with a blood red edge to the blade. He didn't get into a stance though, he just held the sword at his side while staring at CRDL with his cold eyes. They were all on edge but weren't about to back down from Jaune Arc.

When the timer hit zero, Cardin charged at Jaune with an overhand swing. Jaune just raised his left hand to catch it, stunning everyone. Cardin was knocked away to the right when Jaune kicked him in the stomach. Russel charged next, trying to deal a flurry of dagger slashes. Jaune lazily parried every one of his slashes, each hit sending vibrations up Russel's arms because of the blade's shape. Jaune soon knocked away his arms before slashing both his shoulders at an incredible speed, taking a large amount of his aura with it. Jaune grabbed him by the front of his shirt before throwing him in the opposite direction of Cardin. He turned back to Dove and Sky, who were opening fire onto him. Jaune simply called his aura to cover his body, but it wasn't white. It was pitch black.

Every bullet was knock away as soon as they hit his aura. The two stopped in shock and Jaune just looked at them with that cold smile before motioning for them to 'bring it on'. They both charged. Sky jumped over Jaune and Dove charged forward to flank him from opposite sides. Jaune parried Dove's sword with his own and caught Sky's halberd. He spun his sword to disarm Dove before he kicked him in the chest. This sent Dove flying back the way CRDL started at and doubled as a springboard for Jaune to jump over Sky while still holding onto the halberd, causing his arm to be bent painfully. Jaune remedied this by hitting him in the back of his head with the broadside of his sword, causing him to stumble forward. Jaune stepped in front of the dazed Huntsman before punching him in the face, sending Sky flying to the only empty corner of the arena left.

The students were just staring in shock at the display. Jaune Arc, the formally dead and worst fighter in the school, was effortlessly beating CRDL. Everyone was at a loss for words, especially the members of Team RWBY and NPR. This was way too much for them to deal with at once. Jaune was in fact alive and stronger than ever but he was fighting more ruthlessly than anything they've seen of him. It was scary.

Jaune didn't bother to move. He just stood there and waited for CRDL to stand. Once they were all on shaky legs, he spoke up, "Come on. Is that all you got? I thought I was a waste of space, remember?" His tone was still cold and clearly mocking. Cardin growled in anger before slamming his mace to the ground. A series of explosion were sent at him. Jaune just stuck his sword in the ground before sending his aura into it. The blade glowed black before the explosion hit it and it was stopped right there. Dove charged at him while he was distracted. Jaune pulled his sword out and swung at him with the broadside of his sword. Dove managed to recover his sword and brought it up to block it but on contact an explosion happened. It sent him flying away and took half of his aura. Jaune chuckled at that, "Here's a tip for you. My Tourmentage Tordu can absorb energy. If I send my aura into it first, that is." He turned to the stunned Cardin, "I absorbed your explosion and used it against your teammate." He smiled at Cardin but this one was different. It did hold happiness and that was more unsettling.

At that moment, Sky charged him. Swinging his halberd to try and hit him in the side of his head. Jaune ducked under it before he spun and swept his legs out from under him. As he was falling, Jaune swung Tourmentage Tordu down in a two handed swing. Sky blocked it with his weapon but the force created a crater under him and took away most of his aura. The attack knocked the air out of Sky, as well. Jaune raised his sword to finish him but Russel ran in to save his teammate. He crossed his daggers to stop the hit but the vibrations were too much for him. As his arm were shaking, Jaune kicked him in the ribs and away from Sky. Jaune slowly walked over to him. Russel was nearly in the red at this point but he was still raising his daggers to fight. Jaune sheathed his weapon after that. Russel swung his left dagger at Jaune's face but he merely caught his wrist with his left hand. Jaune spun behind Russel and kicked the back of his knees, driving him to the ground. Jaune grabbed his other wrist and planted his foot in the middle of his back. With that twisted smile, he pulled the arms and pushed with his foot. Russel was screaming in pain before his aura broke and with one last jerk, so were both of his arms.

Jaune let go of him and he collapsed onto the floor before Jaune turned to see Sky charging at him with his halberd, ready to avenge his teammate. Jaune pulled a revolver from his belt and aimed at Sky. The handle was blood red and so was the trim of the metal but the whole thing was black besides that. He grinned before introducing his weapon, "Meet Souffrance Eternelle." He fired a bullet and it caught Sky in this upper arm and shattered his aura. He fell to the ground and Jaune returned his weapon to its holster as he walked over to him. He grabbed Sky by the back of his shirt and his belt before he lifted him over his head. His unsettling smile grew and he brought Sky onto his knee and shattered his back. Sky screamed in agony before passing out from the pain

He shoved Sky off of his knee and looked over to Dove. Jaune took a step forward before he was engulfed in a purple aura. He shifted his eyes over to Goodwitch, "That's enough, Mr. Arc!" She shouted in anger.

Jaune chuckled, "No. It's not." He closed his eyes and soon the purple energy surrounding him shifted to black before it faded away. Goodwitch was shocked that her Semblance was just gone. Jaune swung his hand at her before she was pushed away and against the wall as she was covered in a black aura. She fell to the ground and Jaune spoke again. "And I am NOT Mr. Arc. Not anymore."

He looked back over to Dove. Dove aimed his sword at Jaune to fire at him but he pulled out Souffrance Eternelle, it started glowing black and he fired a shot into his right shoulder. The bullet broke through his aura and into his shoulder. Dove cried in pain before dropping his sword. His right arm was just hanging limply by his side. "Souffrance Eternelle's bullets can absorb my aura and use it to cause several times more damage." His smile grew wider before he fired three more aura charged bullets at him, one into each knee and the other shoulder. Dove collapsed to the ground while bleeding out.

Jaune finally turned to Cardin. He was shaking in fear at this point. The guy whose life he made a living hell just destroyed his teammates and now had his sights set on him. "Arc, please-" before he could continue, Jaune fired his last shot at the ground at the bully's feet. The bullet created an explosion that sent him flying at Jaune. He landed on his face at Jaune's feet. He looked up in time to see Jaune kick him in the face. Jaune stood over Cardin and charged both his fists with his black aura before he started to mercilessly beat Cardin. Everyone just watched the brutality in shock, not able to do a thing. Team CRDL deserved a lot but nothing like this.

A couple a minutes later, Jaune was standing above his once bully breathing raggedly. Nearly every bone in Cardin's body was broken. He raised his fist one last time to finish it.

"That's enough!" Jaune turned to Ozpin, whose aura was acting up and shining. He was beyond angry. "Continue and I will not hesitate to stop you."

Jaune just grinned before stepping off of Cardin. "Of course, Professor." He bowed to him, "Thank you again, sir." He raised his head, "I guess you now know. I didn't want to reenter Beacon, I wanted revenge on those who made _his_ life hell. I'm glad that your pity for Jaune Arc overpowered your common sense. But with that I'll take my leave." He made his way for the exit before he stopped. "Oh wait, I nearly forgot." He turned to the students, "To all of you out there, if you ever cross me…" he motioned to CRDL "That is your fate." He gave them all that unsettling smile and his eyes lingered on his friends before he turned to leave.

* * *

Jaune was at the cliff that he was launched off of during initiation. He took a deep breath and smiled, a real smile. "Well, that's done. Now to get back." He started reaching for his blade when he heard footsteps. He turned to see seven people, RWBY and his old team. His real smile left his face for a neutral expression. "Hey."

They stared at each other before Ruby took a step forward, "Jaune?" she asked in disbelief. He nodded and she looked like she was about to run over to hug him but he placed his hand on his gun.

"Don't." he said in a cold voice. Ruby's eyes went wide before she stepped back to the others. His hand slowly left his gun. "What do you want?"

Pyrrha hesitantly stepped forward, "We want to know what happened to you."

Jaune chuckled, "Really? That's a laugh, considering you wanted nothing to do with me before." He bit back. They all flinched like they were hit. Pyrrha was about to speak but Jaune cut her off, "Don't bother apologizing. It's far too late for that." Tears started to form in Pyrrha's eyes. "But, I'll tell you how I became the _real_ me though." He turned away from them and looked over the Emerald Forest. "I wanted to have you guys back. Losing you was just too painful and I wanted the strength to prove myself. So, I decided to venture into this very forest. I wasn't going to leave until I was stronger. At least, that's what _I_ wanted but Jaune Arc just wanted the pain to end. And it did." He turned back to them. "I fought for hours and eventually my weapons broke and I was out of aura. I remember thinking that this was it, the end."

They were all quiet, "But that's when everything changed, when I changed." He looked up to the sky, "I was just sick of it. Beacon, Grimm, even myself. My anger, pain, frustration, and hatred that I accumulated over the weeks came to the surface. Those emotions drew upon a different part of my soul, a stronger part. And that turned me into what I am now." He looked them in the eyes, "I was tired of being the weak light trying to fight to protect those I cared for and losing everything. So, I extinguished that light and became the invincible darkness that destroys everything in my path and has nothing left to lose." His black aura shifted to the surface to prove his point. His aura stopped, "Jaune Arc died that night. And _I_ was born in his stead."

They all stared at him for a while. Pyrrha spoke up, "Why didn't you come back sooner?"

He snorted, "Why would I do that?"

Ruby stepped beside her, "To be with us. Your friends!"

Jaune started to laugh manically. This made them all uneasy. Once he was in control again, he looked back at them. "Friends? Yeah right. If that's how you treat your friends than I hate to see your enemies. We were never friends."

They were all stunned by this, "That's not true!" Pyrrha tried to defend them.

"Really? What do you call abandoning someone and letting them exist in a living hell?" He started to walk towards them. "You all cut ties with me when I became too much of a burden. You caused me to suffer more than any other." He was now standing in front of Pyrrha and gently cupped her cheek, "I hoped you were different, Pyrrha, but you were just like them. The way you cared for me and loved me, I thought you'd stay by my side. But I guess, the great Pyrrha Nikos didn't need a weak partner." Pyrrha started crying at that point and turned away.

Jaune turned his gaze to Ren next, "I thought you'd be the brother I never had. Someone I could lean on." He turned to Nora, "And I thought you'd be like another sister to me. Someone I could always be myself around. Turns out I was the only one to think that. Because what did you do after you heard about the transcripts?" Nora started to cry and Ren held her.

Jaune looked at RWBY next, "You guys aren't that surprising. Blake, you never even tried to be friends with me. We hung out because our teams did. We had no relationship." Blake looked down, his words were true. "Weiss, you thought I was a waste of space and convinced yourself that I wanted you for your money and power. I can't believe I actually loved you." Weiss' eyes went wide at that 'confession' before her eyes started to water. "Yang, you only dealt with me because I was you sisters 'best friend' and I think, you thought you could tie me around your finger like any other guy." Yang looked away, both angry and hurt by his words. "And finally you, Ruby. I was only your friend because you were desperate for any kind of friendship. But as soon as you had 'better' friends, you didn't need me. So much for that innocent and happy girl you pretended to be." Ruby started to cry her eyes out.

Yang eyes turned red before she charged Jaune. Right before her fist would make contact with Jaune's face, she was covered in a black aura and stopped. They all looked in shock. Jaune just looked at Yang, "That was not smart." He raised his hand and Yang went into the air before he dropped his hand and she crashed into the ground in a crater. She was breathing heavy and her aura was almost gone. She opened her eyes to see Jaune looking down at her. "I think I put up with your attitude because it was nice being around a pretty girl like you." He knelt down beside her, "But now, I have someone more beautiful than you. Although, you two are very _similar_."

He stood up and walked over to the cliff again. He turned to see them helping Yang to her feet. He drew Tourmentage Tordu and its blade started to glow black. "That is your only warning. Next time, I'll kill you." He swung his sword behind him and a black portal formed. He looked back at their shocked expressions as he sheathed his sword. "Remember this: The weak die. The strong live. Those are the rules." He smiled a true smile before saying the next part. "Those are the truest words I, Jaune Branwen, have ever heard." Ruby and Yang's eyes went wide at that. Jaune just turned around and walked through the portal.

* * *

Jaune arrived in a forest. He looked around before he felt a blade at his neck. He smiled, "Hello, Beloved."

Raven stepped out into the clearing, "You let your guard down. I could've killed you."

Jaune still smiled, "Maybe. But would you kill me?"

She sheathed her blade and walked closer to him, "How did it go?"

"Great. Destroyed those weaklings and delivered the message. Also, Goodwitch gave me a gift." He raised his hand as it started to glow black and a rock nearby levitated as it was surrounded by the same aura.

Raven watched, "Interesting but I don't like the fact that you cheated on me."

Jaune wrapped his arms around her waist, "Don't even think that. The amount I stole from her is nothing compared to what you gave me."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, "Good to hear. But if you encounter her again, don't hesitate to take all of it, my husband." she smiled.

"As you command." The two kissed passionately and pulled each other closer. The world of Remnant would soon be shaken to its core.

* * *

 **A/N- I randomly came up with this idea and needed a break from Elemental Swordsman. Don't worry, I will be updating that soon. Anyways, just to clarify, Jaune is 19-20 so he is not underage. I may continue this or it can just stay as a one-shot, depending on how well it goes. But Elemental Swordsman is a priority right now. Catch all of you later.  
**


	2. Just the Beginning

Distortion

It was later that night. Jaune was sitting at a desk in their shared room, he was cleaning Souffrance Eternelle. He made sure to clean it after every time he used it. A dirty gun could spell your death, plus he found it therapeutic. After he had returned to Raven, the two walked for the last few hours of daylight. They luckily arrived at a small village. They stayed at the local inn rather than camp out like they had for the last month or so. They ate a small dinner before the two retired to their room. Raven had allowed him to take the first shower but now she was in there.

He looked over his shoulder to the bed. There was her weapon, leaning against the wall on her side of the bed. Her ultimate sign of trust in him. Raven never left her weapon out of reach. The fact that it was in a completely other room from her showed just how much she trusted Jaune. He smiled before he turned back to his revolver. He finished cleaning it before he loaded it and returned it to its holster. It was always loaded; an empty gun was just dead weight. He set it down onto the desk before he drew Tourmentage Tordu to sharpen it. As he was doing this, his mind wandered back to early that day.

That was the first time he had returned to Beacon in over a year. He had mixed feelings: that was a place that went from his dream to a living hell for months. Then again, it was the catalyst in which he became his true self, so that's all that really mattered. He probably wouldn't ever return again. He only did for his personal revenge and to deliver a message to Ozpin. He smiled when thinking about the fight. Those four made sure that his life was hell and he had thrown them into their own. But theirs would be so much longer than his own. They'd never be the same again and unlike him, not for the better. He chuckled to himself.

He then thought of Goodwitch, the most powerful Huntress at Beacon, and he stopped her while barely moving. He even managed to claim a consolation prize from her before leaving. A show of how far he has come. Finally, his mind went back to his former friends. His heart wavered for a second. Seeing them that close, standing directly across from him, made him actually miss them. That was annoying. He made sure to bury any remaining affections for them after the Emerald Forest and for them to surface again.

He growled slightly. It didn't matter anymore. Jaune Arc may have been weak enough to miss them but he wasn't him anymore. He was Jaune Branwen, damn it! He was saved, trained and loved by Raven Branwen, one of the most skilled and deadly Huntresses in Remnant. He would stand by her, no matter what. And if those seven stood in her way, in his way, he'd kill them. Period.

He was taken out of his thoughts when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his bare chest and a pair of lips on his cheek. "You seem distracted." Raven said in her usual tone. To most it sounded neutral and cold, but he could feel the true intentions under her façade. A façade they wore around everyone besides the other.

He continued to sharpen his sword, "Sorry, Beloved. My mind went back to earlier today. Doesn't matter now."

She held him a bit closer, "You can't lie to me, Jaune, just as I can't lie to you. Part of our _bond_ , remember?" she smirked.

He sighed, "Right. Seeing those seven just had an unexpected effect on me but it's over now. So don't worry about it." He made eye contact to show her he wasn't lying. He saw her hair was still slightly damp from her shower and he could feel the warmth that still clung to her skin form the hot water.

She nodded before she left a light kiss to his lips. She stood up and he saw she was only in her towel. She walked over to their bed with a very noticeable sway. She looked over her shoulder and dropped the towel, revealing her bare back and rear to him. "Are you going to keep me waiting?" she asked in a sultry tone.

He smiled before sheathing his weapon. "Never." He said. He walked to the other side of the bed before leaning his weapon there. He turned to see her laying seductively on the bed. He crawled over to her before they kissed passionately and their hands roamed the other's body.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ozpin was sitting at his desk. He had his fingers intertwined and was watching the fight from that day. He had watched it countless times already but he kept replaying it. His coffee was sitting next to him, forgotten and cold. This whole situation had many things that just didn't add up to him and because he wasn't his usual cautious self, four of his students were in surgery. He looked up to see the elevator open up and for Goodwitch to walk towards him, "Glynda, how are they?" he asked tiredly.

She sighed before looking down at her scroll, "Not great, Ozpin. They'll most likely live but there is severe damage to each of them. Mr. Thrush had his wrists, arms, shoulders and even shoulder blades broken. It's unlikely that he'll be able to raise either arm higher than his shoulder and he'll need metal implants, most likely. Mr. Lark's back was completely shattered; the young man will never walk again. Mr. Bronzewing is still in surgery. All four of his ball and socket joints were shot. Best case, he'll need several months of physical therapy to even use his limbs again, let alone fight. Worst case, he'll lose one if not all of his limbs. Finally, Mr. Winchester." She sighed sadly, "Nearly every bone in his body was broken, he had severe internal bleeding, ruptured organs and severe brain damage. We're not sure if he'll ever regain consciousness. On top of all of that, all of their auras aren't returning at their normal rate. It's much slower." She looked back up to him at that.

"I may know the cause of the aura situation." He indicated the video and she walked over to watch. After a few minutes, she saw what Ozpin was getting at. Jaune had a faint black outline around his entire body and every time he came in contact with any of CRDL, their aura would drain faster. Meanwhile, his never fell below ninety-seven percent.

"He was somehow draining their aura?" Goodwitch asked stunned. Ozpin nodded. "But how? Aura can only be transferred if the owner wills it to, how could he just override that?"

Ozpin just shook his head, "I'm not sure. I've never seen this before. What about you, Glynda? How's your aura?"

She just looked him in the eyes, knowing how serious he was, "It's better now. For a few hours after the fight, it felt…...off, for a lack of a better term. But now, it feels normal. Although, I'm still wondering how he stopped my Semblance. It wasn't broken, just gone."

"I think it's similar to this." Ozpin waved his hand at the screen. "I think, Mr. Arc somehow absorbed your Semblance before turning it against you."

"That's impossible! Aura stealing, maybe but no one can transfer a Semblance." She said stunned.

Ozpin just turned his chair to look out the window. "Maybe not. Many things don't add up with this. Mr. Arc was gone for a year and he has improved at an astronomical rate. He fought a fight that even Ms. Nikos would have had to show some effort in but he wasn't serious until you interfered. Even him absorbing their aura seemed like a reflex; he was too calm that entire fight. Plus, his aura has changed as well. I've never seen someone's aura change in a drastic way, not only the color but the feel of it was different. Colder, darker."

They were quiet for a few minutes, "At least now, I know why you allowed him to stay with fake transcripts." Goodwitch said.

Ozpin nodded slowly, "I saw that Mr. Arc had a lot of potential. With the right environment, people and training, he'd be a great Huntsman. But because of me, he was hurt in a way he shouldn't have had to endure. And because of that, he has become what he is today." He said sadly.

"What do you plan to do?" Goodwitch asked.

"I'm asking Qrow to look for him. Maybe we can help him before he falls too far." Ozpin just looked up at the fractured moon. Not knowing that this would just push him farther down into that very abyss he was trying to save him from.

* * *

Jaune awoke the next morning with the sun warming his bare back. He looked down to see he was spooning his wife. Both bare as the day they were born with a sheet barely covering their modesty. Although, they had none around each other. He had his left arm wrapped around her stomach and her left hand was holding his. Both their ring fingers had a tattoo, a snake wrapped around the finger until it bit its own tail, completing the ring. The snake was a symbol for eternity and the tattoo was a symbol for eternal love. Their love. By her breathing, he knew she was still sleeping. Jaune leant over and left a trail of butterfly kisses from her shoulder to her neck. "Jaune." He heard her speak and stopped with his lips still on her neck. "I'm trying to sleep."

He smiled and he knew she felt it on her neck. He barely lifted his lips and spoke, "Sorry, Raven. But I can't stop myself from showing my love." His breath tickled her neck and she shuddered slightly. He smiled more at that.

She turned to face him and opened her eyes, "You could've waited a few more minutes. I'm tired from last night."

He just chuckled, "You know as well as I, our auras rejuvenate faster the closer the two of us are because of the _bond_." He said the next part as a whisper, "And intimacy makes it more rewarding, for both of us."

She quickly pushed him onto his back before she straddled him with her hands on his shoulders, "That mean you want more of last night." She said with the same sultry tone. The sheet falling off the two onto the floor. Jaune just took a moment to take in her beauty. The morning sun was shining off her fair skin in a radiant way. Her body was perfect in his mind: Long shapely legs, round rear, toned stomach, amazingly sized breast, and not a single scar to sully this beautiful goddess. The fact he knew how much she fought and how many times she faced death, that made that fact more amazing. He looked up to her face, Raven was just gorgeous, no way around it. Her long black hair with its red highlights was soft and he couldn't get enough. Her lips were incredibly soft and when they kissed, he never wanted them to end. But her eyes, weaker people would see her red eyes as intimidating or terrifying. But they were dangerously beautiful. He cupped her cheek before speaking. "I'll take whatever you give me."

She smiled before taking the same opportunity to take his body in. His entire body was toned. Enough muscle to be strong but not slow him down. He was covered in scars: a series of crossing scars on his chest and stomach, punctured marks on both his shoulders from Beowolves, more scars ran down his left arm and similar scars ran down his right but stopped halfway down his forearm, she couldn't see them now but deeps scars ran down the whole of his back, he had one or two on his thighs but below his knees were scar free. Most people would die from fewer than half of these scars but he managed to survive them all. That made him powerful and deadly, she loved it. His hair was now black besides the tips and she could remember the exact moment of this change and the change of this man. But his eyes, they were a deep blue, they could be cold enough to freeze a rushing river but also warm enough to melt her cold exterior. She leant down and gently ran her tongue from his chin, up his scar up to his lips were she gave him a loving kiss. They were going to have a late start today.

The two left around mid-morning after their little session. They left the village and when they were far enough away, Raven drew her sword and created a portal. The two walked through and found themselves at the beginning of a forest. She sheathed her blade, "I've heard rumors of a small bandit group here. We may find someone useful." She placed her mask on and Jaune just gave her a look. She turned to him, "Yes?"

He sighed, "I know why we wear these but I hate not seeing your beauty." He placed his own mask on, this one only covered his face and was similar to that of a Wyvern. He pulled his hood over his head and the two walked on. They walked in a comfortable silence for a few hours until Jaune spoke up, "This sucks." She turned to him and he continued, "Trying to find useful people is so annoying. I kinda wish that I didn't unintentionally destroy your tribe." He added sadly.

She placed her hand on his shoulder, "Do not live in the past, Jaune. No one knew what your new abilities would do. Besides, the fact that none survived just proved that we reached a level that their strength would no longer be necessary. Just a hindrance. And if not for that, we never would have become what we are now." She turned back to the path ahead. "We will find people to join us." They walked for a bit more and she felt his eyes on her. "I'm not referring to us as that."

"Come on. Say it." He said with a hint of humor in his voice.

She held up for a few minutes before she eventually sighed, "We'll find people to join…Knightingale."

He chuckled and wrapped her in a side hug, "See? That wasn't so hard."

She looked back to him, "I still don't understand why you insist on calling us that."

"What, it makes sense." He shrugged, "Guess my past self spent too much time with my step-daughter and her half-sister."

They kept walking, still keeping an eye out for this supposed group of bandits. Her mind soon wandered to her husband and the night that all of this changed.

* * *

 _Raven was sitting atop of a tree in the Emerald Forest, she was disappointed. She came to Beacon to see if her daughter was strong enough to join her and her people. She had observed her all day and found she was still subpar. She sighed, a wasted day. She was about to open a portal when something caught her eye. She looked to see a blonde young man step into the clearing below her. She recognized him as someone that was usual around her daughter. But that made her think, she hadn't seen him around Yang all day. In reality, it looked like her and her group of friends were openly avoiding him. And it appeared that he was doing it as well but for a different reason. But what was he doing here at this time at night?_

 _She saw him draw his sword and unfold his shield before just standing there. After a minute or so, Grimm started to enter the clearing. They charged him and he started to fight them. At first it was just some Beowolves with the occasional Boarbatusk. He seemed to be doing well. His stance seemed forced, like he was making himself fight a certain way. Soon, more Grimm arrived. Ursa started to come to his negativity along with some smaller Nevermore. He was starting to become overwhelmed but that's when he started to fight on instinct. He wasn't the most skilled warrior she had seen but his instincts were top notch. She could also tell he was a natural tactician. Combine those two facts with some training and he'd be a force to reckon with. She continued to watch and saw his white aura radiate off of him, this helped him to keep fighting and heal quickly. And the sheer amount of aura was just baffling to her._

 _She watched for hours, she'd seen professional Huntsmen and Huntresses do this but this was an anomaly. Grimm just kept coming; soon Ursa Majors and Alpha Beowloves started to show along with bigger Nevermores, these were as big as cars. They gave him trouble but soon a Death Stalker and King Taijitu entered the clearing. This pushed him to his limit. These more powerful and intelligent Grimm were too much._

 _While he was distracted, an Ursa Major tore deeply into his back. With a scream, he spun and decapitated it but a Nevermore grabbed him before slamming him to the ground. He was able to impale it through the chest but it's talons cut into his thighs. He was slowly standing; his aura was barely active. It was doing everything it could to stop him from bleeding out but was offering little protection._

 _A Boarbatusk charged him but he was able to impale it with his sword in a reverse grip before it reached him but an Alpha snuck up behind him and bit into his left shoulder. He screamed in pain before slamming his shield into it to knock it away. But before he could capitalize, the King Taijitu rammed him before sending him into the air. His shield miraculous took the bulk of the hit but soon the other head was coming towards him. At the last second he moved and impaled the snake in the head and ripped it down its back as he was falling. He fell off its back before he landed onto the ground but as he rose, the Death Stalker smacked him away with its claw and into a tree. He fell to the ground afterwards._

 _He slowly stood before looking down at his shield, which was now just twisted metal covered in his blood from his shoulder wound. He could feel that the same shoulder was dislocated now. He dropped the shield to the ground but as soon as he did the Alpha was on him again. He kicked the shield at it and luckily caught it in the face, dazing it. He used this opportunity to stab it in the chest but its bone armor made it only go halfway to its heart. It started to tear into him in a fury, it cut into his chest and left arm as he raised the same arm to protect himself. His hoodie was torn to bits and the little armor he head fell to the ground after the assault. He shouted in exertion as he drove the blade deeper and finally killing it. But a lower Beowolf ran behind him and bit into his right shoulder and carved its claws into his upper arm and stomach. Jaune cried out in pain before jumping back and slamming it into the tree he just got hit into. It let go and Jaune turned to impale it through the head and into the tree._

 _Jaune pulled his sword free before turning tiredly as blood fell from his arm down to the sword. That's when the Death Stalker hit him again, he brought up his sword to defend himself but the blade shattered against its shell. A fragment of the blade cut into the right side of his lip to his chin as he flew through the air. It sent him flying into yet another tree but the impact shoved his dislocated arm back into its socket. He laid there for a while, not moving. His aura was gone and soon his life._

 _Raven just looked on. He survived longer than she thought he was capable of but alas he was still too weak. 'A shame. He shows promise.' She thought. She was reaching for her sword, intent on saving his life. If you were worthy of it, she would save your life but only once. He had definitely proven himself. Before she could though, the air around her turned cold. This stopped her and shockingly, all the Grimm as well. The young man started to climb to his feet and as he was doing so, a pitch black aura was flowing from his body. 'But, his aura was white before? How?' Raven thought to herself._

 _Then she noticed that his aura wasn't the only thing changing. His hair was slowly turning black starting at the roots and stopping before the tips, keeping them blonde. His wounds were also closing, not completely but enough to slow the bleeding. He raised his head and looked at the Grimm with a cold glare. The Grimm shook themselves from their stupors before all charged him. He crossed his arms in front of him and the black aura started to look like a black inferno around him. "DIE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs and threw his arms to the side, as he did the aura blasted off of him as a wave of black energy. It forced the Grimm back and even the trees were ripped from the ground from the force of it. Raven had to jump away to not get caught in it._

 _When she looked back, everything within a hundred meters of him was cleared and all the Grimm were dissolving. He was breathing raggedly before he coughed up blood and fell to the ground. Raven jumped from the tree and made her way over to him. She knelt down and turned him over. She looked him over. She had to admit, he was cute for his age and he was okay physically. 'But he has a long way to go before he'll be suitable for the clan.' She thought to herself. Raven stood and opened a portal for them. She tossed him over her shoulder before walking through the portal. Leaving the remains of his weapons and scroll behind._

* * *

She was taken from her memories when Jaune stuck his arm out in front of her. "They're here." He said. She instantly started to focus her senses and felt the presence of five people around them. She nodded and he spoke up, "We know you're there. Come out or else." His voice had an edge to it. Soon the five men stepped out. All around the same age and had similar looks, maybe family. They were dressed in different clothing but each have a red 'X' over their hearts. They formed a crescent in front of them and each had a different weapon. From left to right: knife, rifle, battle axe, sword and shotgun.

The one in the middle, the leader most likely, spoke up. "This territory belongs to the Brothers of the Blood Cross. Everything you have, belongs to us." He said in a conceited tone.

Raven turned to Jaune, "I can't sense any aura, you?" His abilities allowed him to sense aura almost instinctively.

He shook his head, "Nope. They weren't worth the trip out here." He sighed in disappointment.

"Would you look at this, boys?" Said the leader. "We got ourselves a pretty lady here. Why don't we show her a good time?" He licked his lips as he said that. The others laughed at his intentions.

Raven started to reach for her sword but stopped when Jaune shot his hand forward. The leader was consumed in a black aura before he was sent flying into a tree ten feet back. Everyone heard a snapping sound and it wasn't the tree. The other four were stunned, as they turned around Jaune was already there with Tourmentage Tordu drawn. He sliced through the neck of the one with the rifle, nearly decapitating him. He quickly grabbed the throat of the knife wielder and lifted him off the ground, strangling him. He tried to pry Jaune's hand off his throat, with no success. The shotgun user aimed his weapon at Jaune's back before firing. Reflexively, Jaune's aura came to the surface and reflected the buckshot back at his chest, killing him. Jaune snapped the man's neck before dropping him unceremonially to the ground.

He turned to the to the wannabe swordsman, who was running for his life. Jaune raised his left hand and the coward was cloaked in black aura. He stopped before Jaune pulled his arm back, sending him flying back towards himself. He simply raised his sword so he ran the bandit through. He hung limply from the blade before Jaune kicked him off. He turned to the leader and saw that he was still conscious. He smiled darkly behind his mask as he walked forward.

"Stay back!" he cried out and tried to stand but he couldn't feel his legs. Mostly because the impact shattered his back. Jaune was halfway to him when he panicked and threw his axe at Jaune. Jaune nonchalantly caught it with his left hand before throwing it back and lodging it into his right shoulder. The man screamed in pain. He turned back to see Jaune standing in front of him with his sword drawn. He could see into the eyeholes of the mask and just see cold blue eyes that promised pain. "Please…" he asked weakly.

"Don't worry." Jaune said in a voice full of faux concern. The man thought he was saved for a second until he felt the tip of Jaune's sword touch his chest and slowly being pushed in. He screamed in excruciating pain as the sword was moving at agonizingly slow pace. "Enjoy the pain before you die." Jaune said in a cold tone as he continued to push his blade into the piece of shit slowly. It was a full minute later before the sword penetrated his heart and he died. Jaune pulled his sword free and swung it to scatter the blood onto the ground before sheathing it.

He walked over to Raven, she had her hand on her hip. "That was foolish." She told him. "The abilities you stole from Goodwitch aren't permanent, you shouldn't have wasted it on them. And you know I could've handled them myself."

He was standing in front of her and looked down slightly, "I know. I lost my temper and went above what was necessary." He looked back to her, "But I won't apologize. They threatened the woman I love and needed to pay. You needn't waste your time on shit like that."

She stepped forward and place her hand over his heart. "I appreciate that." She smirked behind her mask. "And I'll show you how much tonight." She walked past him with a sway in her hips. He smiled behind his mask before following her. Ignoring the massacre in their wake and the crow observing them from the branches above.

* * *

 **A/N- Wow, was not expecting the feedback for this and as a man of my word, Distortion is now a series. But unfortunately, updates are gonna be slow. Two reasons. First, as I said before, Elemental Swordsman is my priority until its completed. Second, I need to figure out where this story is going. Unlike TES, where I planned 90% of everything, I literally came up with the concept for chapter one, typed it out and posted it on the same day. So, I'm going to need some time to figure out the plot. So, I hope you can all wait. I'd rather have some time to make this as great as it can be rather than put out a half assed story. I hope you all understand and I thank you for your patience. See you in the next update.**


	3. Family Reunion

Distortion

Jaune and Raven were standing opposite of one another in the clearing they found within the forest. It had been a few days since the massacre of the bandits and the two decided to spend a few days in the forest. Until they got more leads from their informants that is. The forest had few Grimm and any that did show up were easily dispatched by these two.

Today they decided to practice their swordplay. No other weapons, just swords. The two stood, staring at the other with their swords drawn. With an unspoken signal, the two shot off towards the other before they clashed. Their blades were blurs as they made contact repeatedly, the two were even until Jaune was slowly getting pushed backwards. He may have improved indefinitely under Raven's tutelage but she had three advantages over him. First off was experience, Raven had fought with a sword longer than Jaune had been alive. The way of the sword was like breathing to her at this point. On top of that, she was faster. Jaune could barely keep up with her swings at this point and finally, her sword had him outmatched in reach. With all of this stacked against him, he had no choice but to play defense.

Raven had her advantages but so did Jaune. Raven had him hone his tactical mind and instincts, which allowed him to come up with strategies in almost an instant and fully capitalize on them when the time came. So for now, he'd have to bide his time until he could think of something. Tourmentage Tordu's blade was sending vibrations through her arm with every swing that made contact but that did little to discourage her. Raven never let up and she was able to get past his defenses and score a few hits on him. Jaune jumped back but his back met a tree and his eyes widen for a second as his strategy came to mind.

Raven went for a horizontal swing for Jaune's chest at that moment. Jaune waited until the last second, before he ducked and spun around the opposite side of the tree. Raven cut through the tree like a knife through butter but soon jumped back. She wasn't sure what Jaune had in mind but she didn't want to get caught up in it. As Raven jumped back, Jaune charged aura into his left fist before punching the tree and sending it flying towards her. At the same time, he jumped into the air with help from his aura and used the tree to hide himself from his wife. Raven reflexively used a backhand swing to slice the tree in half and as the pieces fell away from each other, she saw Jaune coming down with a two-handed swing. Raven had barely enough time to bring her blade back to block the hit but the force behind it created a crater under them. The last advantage he had over Raven was his strength, Raven made his whole body pure muscle and it packed quite the punch.

The force of the hit and the vibrations had Raven's arm shaking. Jaune pressed his advantage by pushing Raven backwards and delivering a series of diagonal slashes, keeping her on the defensive with the force he was mustering behind each swing. Raven was now the one being pushed back but she was about to remind Jaune of her tenacity. Raven blocked another swing with her sword before swinging at Jaune with her sheathe. Jaune managed to duck under it but this gave Raven the time to restart her assault. Jaune quickly jumped back after blocking a dozen or so lightning fast swings before slamming another aura fist into the ground to create a smokescreen from the dirt. Raven got into a defensive stance and kept her eyes roaming for any sign of movement.

Jaune burst forward with his aura for a frontal assault. Raven raised an eyebrow at this, 'Why would he create a smoke screen for a frontal assault?' she thought. Jaune was going for a two handed, swing from his right, so Raven went with a similar swing from her right. That's when Raven's eyes widened as she realized what the purpose behind the smokescreen was. His sword's blade had his aura flowing through it and most likely, using his sword as a medium for his Semblance. As their blades met, Raven's sword was pushed back by what felt like a swing twice as strong as her own. As she was defenseless now, Jaune continued with a backhand swing from his left for a decisive hit but Raven used her sheathe to block the hit. Similar to her sword, her sheathe was forced back as soon as it hit his blade which was what Raven was planning on. She used that momentum to spin and bring her blade towards Jaune's face. He was barely able to avoid the swing but it was too late. As he recovered from the attack, Raven had her blade against his throat. Jaune looked into Raven's eyes before sighing, "I concede."

Raven took her blade away before sheathing it, "Good performance. Anyone else most likely wouldn't have stood a chance. But you were sloppy using your Semblance like that." She scolded him.

Jaune shrugged as he sheathed Tourmentage Tordu. "It was a risk but it almost paid off. The only reason it didn't work was because you know about my Semblance." He stated matter of fact.

She gave him a glare, "Speaking of which, I thought we agreed to not use our Semblances?"

Jaune smirked at her, "Whoops."

She got closer to him and jabbed him in the chest with her finger, "I thought an Arc never goes back on their word?" she asked annoyed.

Jaune wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, "They do but I'm not an Arc anymore, Beloved."

She was still glaring into his eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Maybe so, but you should know better than to spite me."

Jaune just leaned closer to her, "I have. But there's a good chance you get feisty when I do and that is completely worth it."

She was silent for a while, "You're so lucky I love you." She stated with a small smile as her gaze softened.

Jaune smiled, "I know." They soon kissed each other passionately. Jaune still couldn't get over the feeling of his wife's lips and his mind went back to the moment where his path in life changed; for the better.

* * *

 _Jaune slowly awoke. His whole body was in pain and it felt heavy. 'Must've gotten my ass handed to me in a combat class.' He thought before he looked around and noticed he wasn't at Beacon's infirmary. It appeared to be a giant tent, big enough for at least a dozen people to stand in and not be crowded. There were very few personal items, only a chair or two, a small table, similar to a coffee table, and the bed roll he was laying in. Jaune slowly sat up and his head spun slightly. He brought his right hand up to his head, 'Where am I?' He looked at his arm and saw bandages wrapped halfway up his forearm all the way up his arm. He looked down and saw he was shirtless and that bandages were wrapped around his chest and stomach, along with his left arm. He lifted the blanket that was on top of him to see that he only had his underwear on and more bandages wrapped around his thighs. 'What the hell happened to me?'_

" _Good. You're awake." He heard a woman's voice say and he looked up. His eyes widened in disbelief. There standing in the entrance of the tent was a woman that was the spitting image of Yang, except that she had black hair and red eyes. He watched her as she walked in and sat down on a chair close to where he laid. She placed her weapon at her side by her feet before she handed him a canteen, "Drink. You're dehydrated." Jaune just kept staring at her until she spoke coldly, "I'm used to people staring at me but that doesn't mean I like it."_

 _Jaune quickly looked away, "Sorry." He said in a raspy voice before he started coughing. His throat felt dryer than a desert. He took the canteen from the woman and took a few big gulps before he pulled it away with a satisfied sigh. He turned back to her, "Thank you." He said with a smile before he turned away and sheepishly spoke again, "And sorry for staring. You just look a lot like someone I know."_

" _Let me guess, Yang Xiao Long?" she asked._

 _Jaune turned back to her in shock, "You know her?"_

 _She nodded, "I should know my own daughter."_

 _His eyes widened as all the information came flooding to him. "That explains a lot." He turned away from her slightly, "She's been looking for you for years."_

" _I know."_

 _He turned to her in disbelief. "You know?" She nodded. Jaune became angry with that. "So why haven't you gone to see her?! Talked to her!? Anything!?" He hissed in pain as he grabbed his chest. At that the memories from the day before flooded back to him along with the pain of the last few months._

 _She waited for him to calm down before she spoke again, "I left her because I had a duty and being her mother would've interfered with that. Plus, this isn't the best place to raise a child. I knew she'd be safe with Taiyang and I am going to contact her when she is ready. She isn't yet." Jaune sat there and just listened to her words, not sure what to do or say. "Although, I'm surprised you know about me. As far as I knew, she didn't trust many people with my identity. So, how do you know?"_

 _Jaune thought for a second before he decided to answer her, it seemed fair. "Yang came to me one day when everything was too much for her to deal with. She told me about you along with a few other secrets and made me swear to never tell anyone. She trusts me enough with all of that." He looked down and sighed sadly, "Or at least, she used to."_

 _She just looked at his dejected form. "I did notice that you, her and her friends were avoiding each other. What happened?"_

 _He looked at her with an eyebrow slightly raised, "You know about us?"_

 _She nodded, "I've checked in on her from time to time. So, what is going on?"_

 _Jaune looked down, "I wouldn't want to bother you with my issues."_

" _I'm the reason why you're alive right now. Think of it as payment."_

 _Jaune thought it over before he took a deep breath and told her everything. How he faked his transcripts to enter Beacon. How he became a leader of his own team and made friends with her daughter's team. How he was blackmailed by Cardin and how he eventually started to train with Pyrrha after the incident blew over. How he improved and eventually he was content with his life. He told her how Cardin told everyone about his transcripts at the beginning of his second year and how everyone despised him. And eventually, his friends abandoned him. Which pushed him to go into the Emerald Forest and try to prove himself. She was just listening to him stoically the entire time. "That's about it. I guess I was mistaken from the beginning to even try to attend Beacon."_

 _There was a silence until she spoke, "The only mistake you made was allowing the opinions of others to destroy you. You put too much stock in what others think."_

 _Jaune looked at her shocked, "What?"_

" _You think you got into Beacon on false transcripts alone? Ozpin isn't stupid. He probably figured your transcripts were fake from the beginning and that's why he didn't expel you when it was finally brought into the light."_

 _Jaune was just stunned, "But why would he accept me?"_

" _Most likely he saw potential in you and I would agree with that." Jaune was dumbfounded. "You have high reserves of aura, the largest I've seen. And from what I saw, you have a natural tactical mind and good instincts. Your physical skills may be lacking and you need real training. But if you hone those skills and get some decent gear, you'll be a force to reckon with."_

 _Jaune found his voice, "What do you mean by good instincts?"_

" _You were able to react and counter very quickly. Also, you were more effective when fighting on instincts alone." Jaune looked confused and she sighed, "You said Pyrrha Nikos trained you?" He nodded. "She taught you_ _ **her**_ _fighting style but that style doesn't completely suit you. I saw you forcing yourself to fight that way but as soon as you stopped and started fighting without thinking, you became that much more deadly. It's good to learn from others but you must create your own style, a style that is natural to you."_

 _Jaune looked down and just thought about her words, "So, you're saying I could be as good as the others?" he asked hopefully._

" _No." she said and his heart fell. "You could be so much more." He turned to her in shock before seeing her stand with her weapon in her left hand, undrawn. "You have two options. Go back to Beacon and hope to reach your true potential. Or train under me and I'll push you to your full potential and you will show all who looked down on you, how wrong they were. My training will be harder than anything you can imagine but it'll be worth it. So, what do you choose?"_

 _Jaune thought about everything. He didn't know much about her but if she could make him strong then who cared. He could be broken everyday as long as he could prove them all wrong. RWBY and his team most of all. He gripped the blanket tightly before looking at her with nothing but determination. "Make me strong. Stronger than any of the others." He said with full conviction._

 _She smiled at him and held her hand out to him, "You have a deal. What's your name, anyways?"_

 _He took her hand and gripped it tightly, "Jaune Arc."_

" _Raven Branwen." She told him and released his hand. "I have one last question before we begin: Does your hair have something to do with your Semblance?"_

 _Jaune raised an eyebrow confused, "My hair?" He reached up to his hair and as he looked up, saw that his normally blonde hair was black besides the tips. His eyes widened, "What happened to my hair?!" Raven facepalmed and sighed at that._

* * *

The two separated from the kiss. Jaune rested his forehead against her's as they tried to regain their breath. They were standing there peacefully until they heard a cawing. Jaune cracked open his eye before looking over at the crow sitting in one of the trees. He sighed, "Should we get to it and address this?"

Raven sighed as well, "That would probably be for the best." The two separated as they turned to the bird. "Enough games, Qrow. Come on out so we can get this over with." The crow took flight before going behind the tree. There was slight rustle from the bushes as a man stepped out behind the tree and walked into the clearing. He stopped a couple meters away from the couple. At that, Raven spoke up, "Hello, Little Brother."

"Raven." He replied evenly before he turned to Jaune. "And you must be Jaune."

Jaune nodded, "That would be right. A pleasure to finally meet my brother- in-law." He grinned.

Qrow's eyes widened, "Brother-in-law? You can't be serious." Jaune promptly took off his left glove to show Qrow the tattoo on his ring finger. He stared before he sighed and turned to Raven, "Really, Raven?"

She shrugged apathetically, "Jaune is the love of my life. He's been so much more than I thought possible. So, it doesn't matter whether you agree or not."

Qrow just grunted and pulled out his flask to take a drink. "Looks like she has you tied around her finger, kid. Be careful, she has a habit of leaving." He said with an edge.

Jaune just glared at him as he slipped his glove back on, "Maybe with other's but I'm a bit different from them."

"Really? And how's that?" he asked unimpressed.

Jaune looked over to Raven and she nodded. He turned back to Qrow. "Do to…circumstances, Raven's and my own auras have become fused. At least half of our own aura has mixed with the other's. We have a bond that cannot be broken besides with death, along with it giving us the ability to know what the other is feeling and location."

Qrow seemed shocked before drinking again, "Impressive. Never heard of two people fusing their auras before."

Raven smirked, "That's because his aura is a bit, _different_."

"Care to elaborate on that?" Qrow prodded.

Jaune just shook his head, "I would but you'd just tell Ozpin and I'm not ready to reveal myself fully. At least, not yet."

Qrow looked him in his eyes, "That obvious?"

"Well considering my little visit to Beacon wasn't long ago, yeah. How'd you find us so quickly?" Jaune asked.

Qrow chuckled, "Just dumb luck. I was in this forest when you came through the portal. I was trying to find Raven anyways, so it was very convenient."

Jaune gave a small chuckle in return, "Especially considering your Semblance." Qrow glared at him. "What? Raven told me about her twin, especially considering what you're involved in. Let me guess, Ozpin asked you to find me and 'save' me?"

"Something along those lines." He said plainly.

"Well don't worry. I'm not being forced into anything or in any danger. So, I don't need saving. Plus, what me and Rav have planned is nothing for you and your little inner circle to worry about." Qrow gained a dangerous glare before Jaune continued, "Don't worry. She didn't tell me any secrets, mostly because I don't care. And I don't plan on returning to Beacon, so the other students are safe." He gained a noticeable edge to his voice and a cold glare when he spoke next, "That is, as long as he doesn't send any after me. NPR and RWBY, especially."

"Hard to believe that when you destroyed another Team." He said with an edge.

Jaune shrugged, before Raven stepped in front of him, "Jaune went there because I asked him to. I wanted to send a message to Ozpin to not get in our way. Nothing more or less."

"Although, it wasn't part of the plan to have my way with CRDL." Jaune spoke up with a smirk. "I just couldn't resist because of how much I hated them."

"And what about my nieces and their friends." Qrow asked as he got in a stance that would give the impression he was about to draw his sword.

Jaune just looked him in the eyes, "If I hated them, I would've done the same if not worse to them before I left." He sighed, "I don't hate them Qrow. Honestly, I'm indebted to them in a twisted way. If they never abandoned me, I wouldn't have been put on the path that led me to my true potential and the real me." He smiled. "Or my beloved."

Qrow relaxed slightly, "Kid, I know they hurt you but what exactly did they do to you?"

Jaune was quiet for a second, "They all came to me to talk about whatever bothered them. I was their confidant. They even told me their darker secrets for whatever reason. I don't know whether they just trusted me or they thought they could force me to keep my mouth shut, but I believe it was the latter. I never judged them or even looked at them differently but what did they do when my darkest secret came out?" He let a silence linger before he continued. "They abandoned me when I needed them the most and saw me as nothing but something insignificant. After everything I did for them, they betrayed me without hesitation. That's what they did."

"They made a mistake but they cared for you." Qrow defended them.

"As I said to them before, 'We were never friends.' They threw me away when they didn't have a use for me anymore." He said coldly.

"They mourned you, kid." He said getting annoyed.

"So? They would've mourned anyone that they believed got killed because of their actions. Whether it was someone they didn't know or someone they hated. That doesn't mean they cared about me, just that they regretted the weight that now weighed on their consciences."

"Why are you so blind!" Qrow finally shouted. "Ruby cried her eyes out and tore her heart out because of you! Yang was shaken to her core and almost shut down completely! And I can almost guarantee that the others were effected similarly."

"Were they?" He asked coldly. "Listen to me, really listen. I don't care or belief that!" he shouted back. "Nothing they can say or do will ever make me believe they cared for me. They made it clear what our relationship really was over a year ago." Raven placed a hand on his shoulder to both calm and comfort him. Jaune gave her an appreciative smile.

The two turned back to Qrow as he spoke. "What do you plan to do with them?"

Jaune thought for a second. "Nothing." Qrow was stunned slightly. "As I said, I don't hate them but I don't trust them anymore. So, they can do whatever they like and I won't care. As long as they stay out of our way. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to end them." Qrow looked angry before Jaune spoke again, "Although, I have adopted Raven's policy. I'll save each of them once, but only once. I guess I owe them that."

"Wow. That's real noble of you." He said sarcastically.

Jaune just shrugged. Raven spoke up next, "He has nothing to prove to you or anyone else. I suggest you leave."

Qrow just looked at them. "The person Ruby used to tell me about had a good heart, was kind and stood up for what was right. What happened to that person?"

"He no longer exists." Jaune said simply. "He lost everything. So in the end, he had to choose between holding onto the light and die or survive and live as someone else. Something darker." He lifted his right hand in front of him and channeled his aura into it. "I made my choice and never looked back."

Qrow took a step back reflexively. "And what about your family?"

Jaune chuckled. "Please, I was the embarrassment of the Arc family. I probably did them a favor by dying." He stopped channeling his aura. "And just so you know, I can only siphon aura in close proximity." He smirked. "But that's all you're getting from me." He turned to Raven. "Ready to go?"

Raven nodded before turning to Qrow. "Good to see you, Little Brother." Was all she said before she placed her mask on her face and opened a portal.

Jaune turned to Qrow. "I hope you have enough on that recording." He smiled. "Oh, remember what I said about my step daughter and her half-sister. Their friends too." That's all he says before he put on his own mask and pulled up the hood. Qrow stared wide eyed as he followed his wife through the portal.

Qrow sighed shortly after before taking his scroll out of his pocket and stopping the recording. He started it when he grabbed his flask. "What are they planning?" Is all he asked himself before he turned to leave. "Aura Siphoning. Semblance Stealing. Ozpin was right, there is something that just isn't right about this. Plus, that kids aura." He shivered slightly. "Something isn't right about it. It's too cold, too dark." Qrow transformed into his bird form before flying off to Beacon. There were a few things that they had to talk about and maybe warn his nieces as well.


	4. Reflection and Ambition

Distortion

Everything was going normally at Beacon, or at least as normal as it could be. It's not every day that a dead student comes back and destroys a team so badly that their careers are ended before they ever began. On top of that, was the fact that said ex-student took down Goodwitch without touching her then promised the same kind of pain to any others that got in his way. Jaune Arc went from a memory to the thing all the students at Beacon feared. What would he do if they tried to stop him or even accidentally got in his way? That was a question that no student wanted answered.

For RWBY and NPR, things were very different. They were all sitting in RWBY's dorm, not doing much besides sitting around and deep within their own worlds. NPR were in RWBY's dorm because being in their own filled them with so much negativity and painful memories of their once leader. Their worlds were flipped so much over such a short period of time and they had no idea what to do next. Jaune's words just echoed in their heads on repeat.

Pyrrha was sitting on Yang's bed and staring down at the floor. ' _I hoped you were different, Pyrrha, but you were just like them. The way you cared for me and loved me. I thought you'd stay by my side. But I guess, the great Pyrrha Nikos didn't need a weak partner._ " Her hand went to the cheek that Jaune had cupped when he said that. A tear started to run down at that. No one knew, but after everyone abandoned Jaune, he had opened up to her. More so than he ever had before and with that she told him her feelings for him. She promised that she would never leave him and all he did was hold her close and thank her profusely while crying his eyes out. They were pretty much a couple after that. She ruined it by distancing herself from him but she was doing so to try to convince the others to forgive him or at least talk to him. But doing so tore his heart out and the last hope, the last pillar of support, he had for himself was gone. She just kept thinking, that if she didn't do that, maybe he'd be the person she truly loved and not whoever he was now.

Nora was sitting on the floor, she had her headphones on but no music was playing. ' _And I thought you'd be like another sister to me. Someone I could always be myself around._ ' She was shaking with that. She remembered back to anytime they were alone together, Jaune would just be happy and looked like he had a great weight was off his shoulders. Now she realized it was because he didn't have to worry about being a leader or student. He could just be himself and she'd be okay with that. That made her feel terrible now. Jaune treated her so well, like a sister. He never saw her as loud or annoying or even just a problem, like others did. He was just happy that she was happy and that was enough for him. But she turned her back on him and destroyed that safe haven he had with her. So, every day, he had no way to escape the world around him and the pain it gave him. He just had to endure it with no hope for it to end. She started shaking more and cried silently.

Ren was sitting directly behind Nora and was holding her, trying to calm her. But failing, like he always did. Like with his family and Jaune. ' _I thought you'd be the brother I never had. Someone I could lean on._ ' He clenched his jaw slightly with that. He felt the same. Jaune was the only guy he really got close to and the way he cared for him and wanted to always help him with anything; that's what he imagined having a brother was like. He remembered when the responsibilities of his position or even just life got to Jaune, he would either give him some advice or just talk with him. He just wanted Jaune to know that if he fell, he'd be there to help him stand again and Jaune appreciated it. But when he needed him the most, where was he? Nowhere to be found. So, Jaune fell far when his world shattered. And so, with nothing to lean on or to help him stand up, he kept falling farther and farther into the darkness. He placed his forehead on the back of Nora's head and closed his eyes, allowing his self-hate to consume him.

Blake was sitting on her bed, leaning against her pillow and reading a book. If her eyes were actually reading the words and not just staring at the page. ' _We hung out because our teams did. We had no relationship._ ' That was true. She never tried to have a relationship with Jaune, but she did respect him. He was someone who would stand up for what he believed in. She remembered on the few occasions when CRDL would bully Faunus, he'd be the first to try and stop it. That made her happy. To be close to someone who didn't see humans and Faunus as anything different but as one and the same. And he was so supportive when he found out she was a Faunus, he didn't see her any differently. But, when everything turned against him, when he was surrounded by hate. She did nothing, she just kept her distance as usual and let him suffer, to be torn apart everyday by that hate. She knew more than most the pain of that kind of hate and she could've helped him. But she did nothing. The one time she could've made a difference, she didn't. And why? Because he had a shady past? She had no right to judge anyone for that. She clenched her book tighter, wrinkling the pages.

Weiss was laying on her bed and was just looking up at Ruby's bed dangling above her. She should've been studying but she didn't have the drive to do so. Not with _his_ words running through her head. ' _You thought I was a waste of space and convinced yourself that I wanted you for your money and power._ ' She sighed as she remembered that. He was right. She found him annoying and she saw his constant flirting as a nuisance. And yes, she ridiculed him all the time. Sometimes, she was just as bad as CRDL with her attitude towards him. Sometimes worse. He did eventually stop but she didn't give him a break, she still called him out on everything he did wrong and didn't recognize anything he did well. He was so full of hope and light but she only ever gave him negativity and contempt. But what was worse, was the other thing he said. ' _I can't believe I actually loved you.'_ She bit her lip with that. He actually admitted it. He, at one point, had loved her. But she saw herself as someone above him and he would never be worthy enough for her. If she didn't break his heart before the transcript fiasco, she certainly shattered it then.

Yang was sitting cross-legged on Ruby's bed, holding her sister. Trying to give her some sort of comfort. She was just staring at the far wall while slowly rocking with her sister in her lap. She had a mix of pain and anger inside of her ever since that moment. ' _You only dealt with me because I was your sister's 'best friend' and I think, you thought that you could tie me around your finger like any other guy._ ' She was angry that he had the gull to say that to her and hurt because she never thought Vomit Boy, Jaune, would ever do so. But she couldn't deny that his words held some truth in them. She probably wouldn't have even given him the time of day if it wasn't for Ruby. And she teased him more often because she liked his reactions. She took a lot of liberties with him because she knew that he wouldn't say anything because she was Ruby's older sister. Meanwhile, she did nothing for him. Looking back, she was probably the cruelest to him. She didn't see him as a friend, just something to use and play with when she was bored. And like a spoiled brat, she threw him away when she was done with him. Her eyes flashed red for a second with her next thought, 'I'm no better than my mother.'

Ruby was just sitting in her sister's lap with her head leaning on her shoulder as she just looked out the window. Every time she thought of his words, her eyes would tear up. Just like they were now, ' _I was only your friend because you were desperate for any kind of friendship. But as soon as you had 'better' friends, you didn't need me.'_ Those words hurt so much. They weren't true at all but with all the pain she put him through, how could she blame him for thinking that? Jaune was so much like her and she loved having him as a friend. He was her best friend and sometimes, she thought maybe she saw him as something more. She never considered to explore those feelings because Pyrrha liked him and she didn't want to ruin their friendship if he didn't feel the same way as her. But she did that anyways. She turned her back on him when she found out about how he got into Beacon. She was hurt that he lied but, he was still the same person she cared so much about. Was it her pride that caused her to hurt him? She didn't know but regardless, she was one of the reasons he became what he was now. He wanted to prove himself, he always did, and when she turned her back on him, he decided that he would do that, no matter what. And now, he was someone cold and dark. Nothing like the warm and a so full of light person she knew. And that broke her heart.

They were all taken from their thoughts when they heard Goodwitch's voice through the intercoms. "Attention. Will Teams RWBY and NPR, please come to the Headmaster's office. Again, RWBY and NPR to the Headmaster's office."

They all got up and slowly made their way to Ozpin's office. They were quiet the entire way; not sure what to say or even if they wanted to say anything. The elevator up to Ozpin's office seemed to last for an eternity. But soon, the doors opened, revealing to the students Ozpin and Goodwitch. But what surprised them was the third occupant of the room. "Hey Kiddo, Firecracker." Said Qrow from the side of Ozpin's desk.

Ruby gained a small smile with that, "Hey Uncle Qrow. What are you doing here?"

"Well, Oz here asked me to look into something for him and as luck would have it, I found him almost immediately." He said this without a smile.

"Him?" Yang asked.

Qrow sighed before he continued, "Jaune." The seven of them went rigid with that, shocked. "After his return, Oz asked me to look for him. I found him but who I found him with…complicates things. A hell of a lot." He took out his flask to take a quick swig.

"Who was he with?" Pyrrha asked, wondering and worrying for her partner, or now, ex-partner.

Qrow sighed. "Raven Branwen." Most of them were confused besides Yang and Ruby, whose eyes flew open wide. "My twin sister and Yang's birth mother." Everyone understood and turned to the two sisters, shocked.

"What was he doing with her?" Weiss asked since the sisters were nonresponsive.

Qrow took another drink before continuing. "Apparently, he is helping her with some sort of plan. And to really screw with everything, he is now her husband."

"What!?" shouted Yang, Ruby, Pyrrha, Weiss and shockingly, Goodwitch. Nora, Ren and Blake were just stunned silent and Ozpin was just sitting there in his usual calm state.

Yang's brain restarted soon after, "You're telling me that Jaune is now my step-dad?!"

"That's one way to put it, yeah. He's also, my brother-in-law, if that helps." By the look on Yang's face, it didn't.

"Are you sure Jaune is actually married to Raven?' Ruby asked hesitantly.

Qrow nodded, "Showed me the tattoo on his ring finger as proof." They looked confused. "Where me and Raven come from, marriage can be fickle. If someone was wearing a ring, it pretty much said, 'I'm taken, for now, check back later.' But, it was truly serious if someone got a tattoo on their ring finger. That said, 'I'm taken, keep walking or else.' When Raven was with Yang's dad she wore a ring but if Jaune has a tattoo, well…" Qrow trailed off but everyone got the gist of it.

"Why exactly are we here though?' Blake asked, trying to get it back to the point of this meeting.

Ozpin sighed, gaining everyone's attention. "Qrow here, has a recording that has some information on it. He felt that you all should hear it as well." He looked at all of them. "It is entirely up to you. If you don't feel you can handle this, we will understand." The seven students looked at one another, having a silent conversation before they turned back to him with determination in their eyes. "Very well." Ozpin turned to Qrow, "If you would?" Qrow placed his scroll on Ozpins desk and as it synced up, he pressed play.

The ten people in the room soon listened to the recording. They heard that Jaune's and Raven's auras were now fused, a fact that shocked everyone in the room. Ozpin was surprised to hear someone managing to do that in such a high quantity. Jaune revealing he knew about Qrow's Semblance, mentioning an inner circle that none of them were going to ask about and him threatening the students if Ozpin sent any after him. Them included. That hurt but hearing him say he was indebted to them for abandoning him was like a stab to the heart. The knife was shoved further when they heard him talk about being their confidant and them not being the same. That knife seemed to twist when he restated that he was convinced they were never friends and that the guilt they felt was from purely selfish reasons, not actually caring for him. But what hurt the most, was when he said he doesn't believe or care if they ever cared for him. Along with the fact that nothing they said or did would ever convince him. Ruby was practically in tears when he said that the old him was gone and Pyrrha was there as well, when he said his death was a favor for his family.

When the recording ended, Qrow took back his scroll and Goodwitch spoke up, "We wanted you to hear this because you had the right to know. As sad as it is, it appears that the Jaune Arc you all knew, isn't the Jaune walking around now."

They were quiet for a while. "Maybe but a part of him is still there." They all turned to Ruby when she said that.

"What makes you say that, Miss Rose?" Ozpin asked her intrigued.

"If Jaune truly didn't care for us, he wouldn't have this 'rule of one' for all of us. He may be different but I refuse to give up on him. I already did that once and I've regretted it every day since. Even if there is only a small piece of him left, I will find it and help him remember who he is. To bring him back and show him just how sorry I am." She said his with complete conviction as her eyes were misted over.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Pyrrha in a similar state. She had a small smile. "Well said. But I'll be by you side the entire way. He is my partner after all."

"Don't forget us!" Nora shouted with her usual cheery tone. "It's our job to help our Fearless Leader. And we really screwed up and we will fix it!" Ren stood beside her, nodding silently but with a fire in his eyes.

Ruby was soon hugged from behind by Yang. "You're not going anywhere without me. Besides, I need to make things right with Vomi-" She cut herself off. "To Jaune. I owe him for being your friend and for me being so horrible to him."

"I'm going too." They turned to Blake as she walked over to the group. "Jaune needs help and I can't just sit back anymore. He deserves better than that and I want to be friends with him for real this time."

They were all quiet until the heard a small sigh, "Well, I'm not staying here." They all turned to Weiss in shock. "I have a lot to make up for. I shouldn't have treated him the way I did and I shouldn't have been such a cold bitch to him." Everyone was further shocked that she cursed.

As the seven of them were having their moment, the Huntsmen and Huntress were exchanging looks. Soon, they all came to a consensus. Ozpin turned to them, "Very well. When we track them down, we will inform you all of his location. But, I must stress this." He said seriously. "Do not go after him on your own. We need to do this correctly and you getting yourselves into situations you aren't prepared for won't help. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir." The all said in unison.

Ozpin nodded with that, "With that, you are all dismissed." The students nodded before going to the elevator before taking it down. The atmosphere in the room changed with that. After a minute or so, Ozpin sighed, "How bad is it, Qrow?" He asked as he turned to the scythe wielder.

Qrow was silent before he took another swig of his flask, "Bad, Oz. Bad. This 'kid' was able to fight Raven and was even with her." This shocked Ozpin and Goodwitch. "Take it, those two weren't fighting to the death but they were serious enough. His swordplay is nearly flawless. His fighting style is a combination of Raven's and several other of the bandits mixed with his own flare, it's quite impressive. All his physical skills are top notch along with his tactical mind being superb." He sighed, "Plus, that unique aura of his." He shivered slightly. "The Kid is definitely a force to be reckoned with."

"We were under that assumption when he took me down along with CRDL." Goodwitch stated.

"You don't know the half of it." Qrow said with an edge to his voice. "The Kid is wearing one of the Grimm masks from the Branwen tribe. Those masks were crafted from the bones of Grimm and have been around since the tribes founding. They are the highest honor one can receive and are only worn by the leaders and most powerful tribe members."

Goodwitch was shocked but continued, "Maybe Raven gave Jaune one because he was her husband."

"No." Qrow said instantly. "Raven holds up all the traditions of the tribe. Especially, since she was the leader and the youngest member to claim a mask. Not including Jaune. If he's wearing one, he earned it and proved himself. Which is just more terrifying considering the one he's wearing." With that he was leaning his arm against the window, resting his forehead against it as he looked out over Beacon.

Goodwitch and Ozpin exchanged a glance, "Qrow, I know you don't like to talk about the bandit tribe. But this one time, can you please elaborate and tell us what's going on?" Ozpin asked.

Qrow was silent for a while, "Unlike the masks that the White Fang now wear, the tribe's Grimm masks are all unique. There is one for every Grimm species out there. When someone is wearing one, they showed the qualities that specific Grimm is known for." He turned back to them. "Those few who wear them are claiming to be just as deadly, if not more so, than the Grimm. And trust me, they live up to that."

Qrow started to walk back to the desk, "Raven wears the Nevermore mask. It represents versatility because Nevermore exist in different sizes and are very versatile Grimm in battle. Along with representing superiority, considering that the Nevermore is considered the most dangerous aerial Grimm out there." Qrow chuckled slightly as he stands in front of Ozpin's desk, "Describes Raven to a 'T'."

"So, what mask does Jaune where?" Ozpin asked.

"The Wyvern." Qrow said which caused the two seasoned hunters to freeze. "That mask is the highest honor there is. The person is recognized as being the most powerful member of the clan and the uncontested leader. Just like the Wyvern is the most powerful Grimm and controls, as well as, creates Grimm. That mask has not been worn since the very first leader of the tribe. Since he's claimed it, that just proves how dangerous he's become." Qrow drank the last from his flask before putting it away.

"Do you have any idea what they could be planning?" Goodwitch asked in the Headmaster's stead.

Qrow shook his head, "None. There is a legend that goes along with the masks but that is hidden from all the tribe members besides the ones that wear the masks. But that's all I know."

Ozpin was quiet for a while. "We need to find and try to bring them here. Whether by their own volition or by force." He turned to Qrow, "I need you to try and track them down. Send any information to me immediately." Qrow nodded as Ozpin turned his gaze to the Deputy Headmistress. "Glynda, I need you to find a team to be go with you when that time comes."

Goodwitch nodded before going through her scroll, looking through the team rosters. "No one below fourth years will be able to handle this. Plus, most are terrified by what Mr. Arc did to CRDL. The only third years I would think of would be RWBY and the remainder of JNPR."

"No." Ozpin said immediately. "As much as they want to help, they won't be able to bring themselves to fighting Jaune if it came to it. "

"Very well." She nodded, "Than I suggest the top fourth year team we have. They are practically full-fledged Huntsmen and Huntresses. As well as they had history with Mr. Arc, which may help us." She turned to Ozpin with that. "Team CFVY."

Ozpin nodded with that, "An excellent choice. Inform them of what's going on and have them be prepared to leave in at a moment's notice. And this is to be kept quiet, especially from RWBY and NPR." With that, Qrow and Goodwitch went to the elevator. As they left, Ozpin turned his chair to face the window. "Let's hope we can find them before anything else can go wrong."

* * *

At that time, Raven and Jaune were just done killing a herd of Grimm that decided it would be a good idea to attack them. They were on the outskirts of Vale, looking for more people to recruit. But this turned out to be another bust. Jaune sighed as he sheathed his sword, "This isn't working, Raven." She turned to him with that. "The info we are getting is either outdated or not worth our time."

She nodded as she sheathed her own sword, "You have a point. But there isn't much we can do about it."

Jaune was silent for a while. "We may have to have our informants take a more…active approach." Raven tilted her head at him. "We have the gear we liberated from Atlas, we could have them use it to get us more sensitive material. Like more dangerous targets or maybe even the student rosters. We could easily find people that would join us and be worth it. Worst case, we find a few people with Semblances I can steal." He smirked. "Also, we both know our... _silent_ informant in Vale is getting bored sitting around."

Raven considered it for a while. "You have a point but doing that would cause them to have flee from the Kingdom they are in. We could lose out on future information."

Jaune nodded with that. "Then why not only have the ones in Mistral and Vacuo? They are willing to join us anyways and their positions aren't going well. We get info and two more members, plus, we still have informants in the other two Kingdoms and Menagerie."

Raven thought for a bit, "That is acceptable. You'll go to Mistral and I'll go to Vacuo. We'll meet up afterwards." Jaune nodded to her. She walked over to him and kissed him. He returned it and felt a small amount of her aura go into him as he did the same for her. They broke apart. "That should allow you to use my Semblance twice."

Jaune just smiled, "You didn't need to kiss me to do that, Rav."

"I know." She smiled at him and they kissed again with a bit more passion this time. They pulled apart and each put on their mask. They turned away from the other before drawing their sword s and opening two portals. One red, one black. They sheathed their weapons before walking through.

* * *

 **A/N- Here's the next chapter for Distortion! I'd like to thank Jauneforever for being my Beta Reader for this chapter and here's hope he'll be up for helping me more with this story. On another note, if any of you have ideas for OCs, feel free to send them to me and I'll work on making them Raven and Jaune's informants. Just PM me and we can work it out! Anyways, this will most likely only be updated monthly and maybe have an extra chapter here or there. As much as I would love to crank out chapters daily, I don't have the time. Hopefully, you all understand.  
**

 **See you all in the next chapter!**


	5. The First Informant

Distortion

Jaune walked through the portal and was now in a back alley in Mistral. He took a deep breath of the air and sighed. Out of the four Kingdoms, he preferred Mistral. Jaune pulled out his black scroll before going through his short list of contacts and selecting the name he wanted. He quickly sent them a message to meet in their usual location as soon as possible. He pocketed his scroll before going through the door to his left.

He found himself in a small bar he knew very well. There were a few grunts dressed in suits, as soon as they saw Jaune they lowered their heads and stopped looking in his direction. Jaune smirked before walking to the bar. The first time he was here, the grunts thought of him as nothing more than a kid, he proved them very wrong. That's why the current workers were now barely half of what they used to be. He walked to the bar and the man behind it turned to him before freezing. He was a tall and built man, wearing a black vest, white long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, red tie and black dress pants. He had grey eyes and short black hair that was now grey on the sides. He had a beard and mustache with grey in it, similar to his hair. His skin was tanned as well. He was just staring at him. Jaune smiled before removing his mask and pulling off his hood. "Been a while, Senior."

Senior Xiong. He had some connection to Junior in Vale, but whether he was his father, uncle, grandfather or something else was unknown to Jaune. Mostly because he didn't care. He worked for him and Raven, that was enough. Senior shook himself of his shock, "Mr. Branwen, it's a pleasure to see you again, sir. I didn't know you were stopping by though." He said nervously.

Jaune just smiled at him, "I prefer it that way. Keeps you on your toes."

Senior chuckled nervously, "Will Mrs. Branwen, be arriving too, sir?"

Jaune shook his head, "Afraid not. She has business in Vacuo at the moment."

Senior relaxed slightly, "So, is this meeting for business or pleasure?"

"Bit of both." Jaune laid some Lien on the table and Senior went to work on his usual drink. He presented it to Jaune and he took a sip. He sighed, "As perfect as ever, Senior." Senior smiled in gratitude before Jaune continued. "Now onto the business part of this meeting. An associate of mine will be coming in to meet with me. So, I'll be taking the private booth."

Senior nodded, "Of course. Would you like me escort him to you when he arrives?"

Jaune shook his head, "No need. He knows where to find me." He started to walk to the back of the bar. "I'll message you if I need anything." Senior nodded to him as Jaune kept walking. He sat down at the booth in the back of the bar. He sat with his back to the wall, so no one would sneak up on him. He laid his mask on the table in front of him before placing Tourmentage Tordu on his right by the wall for easy access. Jaune took another sip of his drink as he waited for his informant. He knew that even if he had nothing going on, it would take him an hour at the least to get here.

To pass the time, he used the Semblance he stole from Goodwitch to levitate two coins on the table before having them revolve around the other. He could feel it weakening slightly. He guessed he had only two battle uses of Telekinesis left, maybe three if he pushed it, before he lost her powers. He didn't fully absorb her Semblance, so he knew her powers were temporary but he was hoping it would've lasted longer. Since her Semblance was affecting him directly, he just absorbed the aura that surrounded him along with her Semblance. But that was nowhere close for him to claim it as his completely. He stopped and set the coins back down on the table. He too another sip before thinking, 'Luckily, they have barely any ideas on my abilities. They probably think my Semblance has something to do with Siphoning Aura or Stealing Semblances. They are so wrong.' He chuckled to himself before finishing his drink and sending a message to Senior for another.

Shortly after, one of the workers came with his new drink and took his empty glass before leaving quickly. Jaune sipped his drink again before he started to sense all of the aura signatures around him. He could only sense, Seniors and his workers, no one else was around. He smiled at this. He had abilities his former self wouldn't have ever thought were possible for him. That brought him to the decision that, in essence, made him who he is now.

* * *

 _It had been two weeks since he had decided to take Raven's offer to train him and she wasn't kidding, it was hell. Everyday Raven had him doing strength training followed by hand-to -hand sparring and sword fighting with random bandits in the tribe. It was always someone different to keep him on his toes and for him to learn how to adapt to anything and rely on his instincts. Along with him starting to learn several different styles of fighting instead of only one. He was making progress but Jaune knew that the people he was fighting were the weakest of the tribe. He was nowhere close to fighting anyone else yet and he was still wounded. For some reason, his aura was not returning to him which was holding him back. That was the most frustrating to Jaune._

 _He was doing well when it came to him using his head. Raven had him solve multiple puzzles to work on his problem solving. If he solved them too slowly, Raven would up his training for the next day. Luckily for him, that hasn't happened after the fourth day of intensified training. He wasn't going to fail at everything, he refused to. The only part of his training that was completely failing at was his aura and Semblance training. For some reason, he could not bring his aura to his surface and it was frustrating Jaune and Raven. With him not being able to call on or even feel his aura, he had little chance of using his Semblance. Plus, it was hindering his training in the long run._

 _It was currently after his spars for the day but he had an hour or so before he had to do his mental training. He was now in a clearing, wearing a black t-shirt and pants with boots, trying his damnedest to get his aura to respond to him. He could feel it, it was just below the surface of his mind and body. But no matter what, it would not come forth. It was like it was too weak to surface. In frustration, he punched a nearby tree, "Damn it!" he shouted and he cut his knuckles open with that. He growled in pain and anger._

" _That won't help you." He heard a voice and turned to see Raven walking towards him, removing her mask._

 _He scoffed, "Maybe but this is pointless. If I can't use my aura than I'm just going to keep failing. I need it to listen to me but its refusing to. Hell, I can barely feel it at this point!"_

" _Has this happened before?" Raven asked calmly, undeterred by Jaune's angry outburst._

 _Jaune let out an explosive sigh to calm down, "No. My aura has only ever been this low when I got my ass kicked at Beacon. But no matter what, it would always return in full by the next morning. Why is it not returning now?" he questioned himself._

 _Raven was just standing there and was thinking about everything she saw him do while he was fighting Grimm. Then something clicked, "What color is your aura?" she asked._

 _Jaune looked at her, "White. Why?"_

" _When you were fighting, your aura was indeed white but it was shattered towards the end of the fight. When you stood up, you had a black aura and that's when your hair turned black"_

 _Jaune's eyes widened, "Can aura change like that?"_

 _Raven shook her head, "I've seen it change on occasions but you had no aura left when that happened. Your aura changing when you had known is impossible. Also, I've never seen a change in aura be so drastic."_

" _So, what did I do back then?" he asked his curiosity peaked._

" _Not sure, if I'm completely honest." Jaune's head fell with that. Raven was still thinking about everything she seen from him, "How would you describe the 'feel' of your aura before now?"_

 _Jaune took a second to think about it, "Warm. Like I was always next to a heat source. It also felt light, as in bright and weightless. It made me feel secure." He said with a small smile._

" _And what does your aura feel like now?" she continued._

" _Cold." He said with little hesitation. "It feels dark and heavy, like I'm being suffocated. It's making me feel on edge all the time."_

" _So, your aura feels like the complete opposite as it did before." She stated. Jaune nodded. Raven thought a bit more before speaking, "Maybe this is another part of your aura?"_

" _What?" Jaune asked with a raised eyebrow._

" _Everything has an opposite or a negative. Maybe somehow you tapped into another side of your soul and awakened this 'Negative Aura'." She hypothesized._

 _Jaune looked down at his hands. "That…. makes some sense. I was just so angry. With everything. I just let every negative emotion I had bottled up out. I didn't care anymore, I just wanted to destroy everything around me." A Black outline was soon surrounding him as his emotions were raising again. "I had everything taken from me and I was betrayed in the worse way by the people I cared for. I was tired of just accepting it and wanted to fight back!" With that his aura erupted around him like a black inferno. Raven jumped back from him and just stared at him in awe. It was like what she saw that night. Soon, Jaune calmed down and the black aura he was radiating was pulled back into his body._

 _Jaune look down at his body in disbelief. This aura was different to his original aura but not bad. It felt colder and darker but so much stronger. He saw that his cut knuckles were completely healed and he could feel that all of his wounds were the same. He couldn't celebrate for long, due to an Ursa Major coming at him. His anger spiked again. 'I'm not in the mood for this!' he thought angrily and his aura spiked again. The Ursa raised his claw to slash at him but Jaune raised his left forearm to block it. As it made contact with his aura, its arm was flung backwards with enough force to rip it off completely. It screamed in pain and Jaune quickly pushed forward with a right hook. His fist was covered in this black aura and as soon as he punched the Grimm's face, it's head was ripped from its body. The rest of the body fell and started to evaporate. Jaune just looked at his hands in shock before he smiled. He turned to Raven who was just staring at him, "I think I'm gonna like using this." Was all he said._

* * *

Jaune was brought out of his thoughts soon after that. He could sense another aura enter the bar and it was familiar. He smiled before he took a sip from his drink. He just waited and soon he saw something move near his booth. It was like a heat wave was distorting the space next him. He took a sip of his drink before he pulled Souffrance Eternelle from its holster on his left side and aimed it at the space next to him. He smirked at it, "Nice try, Onyx."

Right after that, the space was soon covered in a blue shading and soon the space was slowly being replaced with a person. Said person was Onyx Shade, third year student at Haven Academy. He stood at 6'2", he was wearing a black loose crew t-shirt, black cargo pants with a black belt around it, black running sneakers, black fingerless gloves and a sleeveless black hoodie with the hood up. He also had a black quiver of arrows over his right shoulder but no bow in sight, but Jaune knew where it was. He had his hands up in mock surrender. "Damn, thought I had you." He said with a small smile.

"Doesn't help that I can sense your aura." Jaune replied with a smile as he holstered his gun. He motioned to the seat across from him. He sat down and removed his hood. Revealing his short black hair and cobalt blue eyes. "Want a drink? I'm buying."

Onyx just sighed, "Sure. Why not?" Jaune finished his before typing away on his scroll to tell Senior. A worker came by to take Jaune's empty glass and gave them their drinks. Onyx took a small sip, "So, what's going on? I'm not supposed to give you more info until next month."

"Raven and I have changed our plans. The info we are getting is either outdated or just useless. So, we are going to have you take a more active approach." He smirked at that.

"What do you mean by active?" Onyx asked.

"Simple. I'm going to give you a program we _liberated_ from Atlas. When you get the chance, you'll upload it to any computer on campus. It'll bypass the firewalls and copy any files that I have specified. Top targets, people of interest and even the student rosters. Once it's done with that, you just have to link your scroll to another computer and it'll send them to your scroll. Once it does that, it'll release a virus to really screw with their systems and cover your tracks." Jaune finished and took a sip from his drink.

Onyx nodded slightly, "What do I do after that?"

"Leave Haven and come here. You or Senior will contact me and I'll come here asap. You'll give me the files and then you'll be officially a part of Knightingale." Jaune smiled at him.

Onyx thought it over before nodding, "Good. I want to get out of there soon anyways."

"Don't jump the gun." Jaune said sternly, "We don't need Lionheart getting suspicious before you can upload the program."

Onyx sighed, "I know. But things aren't going great with the team." He said as he slammed his drink.

Jaune nodded. He knew about Onyx's circumstances. He went to Signal with Ruby and Yang but opted to go to Haven rather than Beacon. He was then placed on a team with three stuck up brats that wanted their fourth buddy on their team rather than him. But, Lionheart kept refusing to change the teams. Onyx became an outcast with his so-called team. The fourth brat and other three started to hang out to figure out what to do. No one thought of anything until the leader of the fourth bastard's team was injured severely. Not long after that, the other two were harmed on a mission but the bastard was fine. The three injured students had no choice but drop out from their injuries and the bastard was assigned as a temporary member to Onyx's team.

Too suspicious to be a coincidence, Onyx looked into it and found out that the group of bastards were taking out the others so they could be on a team together. Onyx was the only one left but thanks to his Semblance, Camouflage, he was able to get out of the situations and 'accidents'. It was because of one of those 'accidents' that Jaune found him. He was luckily in the area and saw Onyx fighting a herd of Grimm. He was impressed by his speed and skill, so he helped him. Afterwards, Jaune gave him the option of helping him out and getting him away from his 'team'. He agreed and the two became close friends. Makes sense because they were betrayed by people they were supposed to trust.

"Think they'll pull anything?" Jaune asked.

Onyx shrugged, "I'm not sure but that asshole's time on our team is coming to an end soon. They'll have to try something soon to get their way." He looked at his drink before looking back at Jaune. "If that happens, what should I do?"

Jaune drank from his glass before looking him in the eyes, "You either let them have their way or you do what is necessary to survive. Can you do that?"

Onyx was quiet for a while but nodded, "Yeah. They're either gonna end my career as a Huntsmen or even kill me so I might as well. Besides, that asshole's team was more of a family to me than those bastards. So, I should avenge them."

Jaune nodded. "Maybe I should make good on my promise and give you a boost."

Onyx looked up to him expectantly, "You're finally going to teach me this whole other aura thing?"

"No." Jaune said with a tone full of finality.

"Come on. You said you'd help me get stronger, so why aren't you teaching me it?" he asked annoyed.

"Because everyone that has tried to learn it so far has ended up dead. And you're one of the few people I trust, so I don't need you ending up dead just yet." Jaune said seriously.

Onyx took a second before he sighed, "Alright, alright. So, how are you going to help me then?"

Jaune held out his right hand, "Give me your hand." Onyx hesitantly grabbed Jaune's hand with his right. As he did, Jaune's black aura started radiating from his body. Almost on instinct, Onyx's cobalt aura was acting the same way. Soon, Onyx's aura was being absorbed into Jaune. Onyx started to panic until he felt a colder force being pushed into his body in its place. After about a quarter of his aura was replaced by Jaune's darker aura, Jaune let go of his hand. "That should do it." Jaune said casually and drank the remainder of his drink.

Onyx looked down at himself before looking back to Jaune, "What did you do?" he asked cautiously.

"I absorbed a quarter of your aura and replaced it with my own Negative Aura. Over the next day or so, it'll bleed into your aura and increase your aura reserves and even strengthen it. Simply put, I augmented your aura with my own." He gave him a genuine smile with that.

Onyx just looked at him in disbelief, "You can do that?"

Jaune nodded, "I only do it with people I trust though. Alright, let's finish this up so you can head back to Haven. I have a few things to take care of. Put your scroll on the table." He did so before Jaune started to type into his own scroll. Soon the screen turned black with a Grimm skull in the center. The screen went back to normal before the same image flashed onto Onyx's scroll. "There you go."

They both stood up and shook hands, "Take care of yourself, Onyx, and don't hesitate to let me know if shit hits the fan."

He nodded to him, "I will, Jaune. I'll contact you when the job is done." With that he pulled up his hood and his aura covered him before he slowly blended into the background. Jaune could sense his aura leaving the bar. Jaune placed his sword on his back before he picked up his mask and walked back to Senior.

He turned to Jaune, "Your business is done, sir?" He asked.

Jaune nodded, "It is, Senior." He placed the Lien on the bar before he looked him in the eyes, "If Onyx Shade walks into this bar again, I want you to offer him a place to stay and inform me immediately."

He nodded, "Absolutely, sir." Jaune was about to leave but he was stopped. "Hold on, sir. I have something for you." He soon crouched behind the bar before standing up with a black suitcase. "This was finally finished and arrived while you were in the back." He placed it on the bar before he opened it and turned it around to him. Inside was a revolver exactly like Souffrance Eternelle, except it had a black handle and trim while the rest was blood red. Along with it was a new belt with two holsters.

Jaune smiled before he started to take his old belt off. "Finally, Sommeil Eternel, is done." He put on the new belt before putting Souffrance Eternelle in his left holster. He then loaded its twin before placing it into his right holster. He placed his old belt in the suitcase before closing it. "Give my regards to him and give him back the belt he loaned me." Jaune told him. Senior nodded at him before Jaune placed his mask back on and pulled up his hood. He sliced the air with his blade to form the black portal before he walked through it.

* * *

He was now back in the forest they originally started in. A few miles away from their original spot, of course. Jaune sat down on rock outcrop; he moved his mask to the top of his head and pulled out his scroll. He sent a message to Raven, telling her he was done and waiting at the rendezvous spot. Plus, he had his new gun as well. He pocketed his scroll and heard a sound come from his right. He turned to see five Beowolves growling at him. Jaune just smirked before he pulled out Sommeil Eternel and fired a single shot. It completely tore through the first Beowolf before it exploded and killed the other three while injuring the last. Jaune had a fire dust bullet loaded that was designed to explode on impact. The last Grimm barely made it to its feet before it ran for its life. Jaune just replaced the bullet he used before holstering it.

He sat in silence for a while before his scroll went off. He pulled it out to find it was a message from their informant in Vale. They were complaining that they were bored and wanted something to do. Jaune smiled before telling them to leave clues about Raven and his location for Ozpin or Qrow to find. He was curious on what they would do with that information. He got a reply from his informant of an image of ice cream and he laughed at their usual antics.

Afterwards, a red portal opened a few feet away from him. Raven stepped through it and he walked over to his wife. "So, how'd it go, Beloved."

Raven nodded and removed her mask, "Well enough. Things went good on your end?"

Jaune nodded, "Also, augmented Onyx as a precaution."

"Good. So, what should we do know?" she asked.

Jaune shrugged, "Wait until they get their jobs done? Also, I have our little friend leaving bread crumbs for Ozpin and Qrow."

Raven sighed, "Of course you did. Why did I marry you?' she asked in exasperation.

Jaune just held her close, "Because you love me too much and know that no one compares to me." He leant down and gently kissed her neck.

Raven hummed at this. "You certainly think highly of yourself." She said.

"If that wasn't true, I couldn't do this." He gently bit down to leave a mark on her pristine skin. She moaned at this and pulled him closer. Jaune then trailed kisses up her neck to her jaw then cheek and finally her lips. The two then had a very passionate kiss.

Raven pulled back from him slightly, "Maybe later I'll show you something else very few could do to me." She whispered in a sultry tone.

Jaune just gave her a predatory grin, "It would be my honor, Beloved." The two shared one last kiss before they separated. They pulled their masks onto their faces and started to walk away to find a suitable spot for their camp. And for their activities later.

* * *

 **A/N- Wow, this was early! Just felt inspired to but this out, so here it is. I would like to give a shout out to Shinigami-no-Kaze, Onyx Shade was their OC and I promised to put him in one of my stories. So, here he is and he'll definitely be back later on. Also, I'd like to thank Jauneforever for being the Beta Reader again. Hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you in the next chapter!  
**


	6. Power and Messages

Distortion

It had been a couple weeks since Raven and Jaune had their informants become more active. They heard nothing from either yet but that was fine. They'd rather have their jobs done correctly, rather than a rush job and lose out on potential gains. The two were staying in the mountains and forests of Vale for that time. Their presence in Mistral and Vacuo would just add unnecessary stress to their informants during this crucial point in their plans. Atlas was still on high alert for them after they liberated a lot of sensitive materials and tech form them. And as much as they loved Menagerie, them not being Faunus would just add more problems than necessary. Vale was the most strategic place to stay at this point in time.

They camped out mostly but neither really minded. They had little to fear and the Grimm were just nuisances. They stayed in one or two of the local towns or villages if they could. How else were they supposed to leave bread crumbs for Ozpin? Jaune was curious what the Headmaster would do with that information. So far, nothing had happened but Jaune could be patient.

Jaune and Raven were standing on a hill and were looking down at the village they were just at. Or at least, the ruins of it. Buildings were on fire and Grimm were tearing it apart. They could hear people fighting and other's screaming. The two hoped to stay there for the night and leave another tidbit of info for Ozpin to find. That was until Raven was recognized by the Captain of the Guard there. Which lead to the scene in front of them. Jaune just turned to Raven, "That was not my fault."

She just looked at him with a glare. "What would you call beheading the Captain of the Guard, causing a panic and attracting Grimm?"

Jaune shrugged, "The asshole wanted to start problems. I decided to give him what he wanted." He then looked back down at the destruction. "Maybe this'll be a big enough clue for him." Raven just shrugged and put her mask on before walking away. Jaune looked for a few more seconds before speaking, "The weak die. The strong live." He placed his mask on and pulled up his hood before walking after his wife.

The two were walking for a few hours in the forest near Vale. They liked the relative peace and the weather was perfect, camping out shouldn't be bad that night. Jaune stopped walking for a second before he kept moving with a smirk under his mask. He just felt five different auras and they were all familiar. They were following them and were close by. "Looks like Ozpin made his move." Jaune said just above a whisper.

Raven nodded, "Good. We'll head to the nearest clearing before engaging."

"You'll take the threat. I'll deal with the other four." Jaune said.

Raven glanced at him through her mask, "Confident, aren't you?"

"Absolutely." Jaune said before getting serious. "Ozpin had his warning and he disregarded it. Time to show him I'm not just talk. I will no longer have to hold back."

"Any of them worth anything?" Raven asked.

"Besides your target?" Jaune asked and Raven nodded. "Not really. None of them have anything worth taking. But, one may be helpful later." Raven turned back to see where she was going and the two fell into a silence. Jaune used the time to think. 'May have to use my real abilities against them.' He smirked. 'Should be fun.' His mind then trailed back to his training.

* * *

 _It had been a few more weeks since Jaune was able to call on, what they referred to, his Negative Aura. It wasn't nearly as huge as his regular aura but it was much more potent. But because of it, he could up his strength training and started to work on his speed and agility as well. He kept up his hand-to-hand and sword training as well. Without his wounds holding him back and him able to heal quicker now, he was progressing very quickly. He was now able to beat the weaker members effortlessly and he had learned their fighting styles. He started to apply what he learned and was starting to develop his own fighting style. He was now working on the intermediate ones as well as learning the basic to firearms, as requested by himself._

 _Raven also had him start aura training and to try to get him discover his Semblance. They both had a good idea on what it could be but they wanted to be sure. He was understanding it fairly well and he was beginning to slowly master the basics. He could now send his aura to any place on his body reflexively. But there was an anomaly. After every one of his aura lessons, his aura would be a lot lower then when he started, even though he would be exerting very little aura during said lessons._

 _Aside from that, Jaune seemed to be getting along well with the members of the tribe. He had a way to lightened the mood around him. They felt a kinship with him and Jaune was starting to view them as comrades, maybe even friends. Every member of the tribe was different from the 'normal' people around them, that's why they congregated together. But they were all impressed that Jaune actually forged transcripts to sneak into Beacon and succeeded. That earned him respect. Although, there were a few that didn't like him and were convinced he would just either die or get one of them killed. Those were the opinions of the more seasoned members and they were always harder to impress._

 _After his aura lessons, Jaune went out to a nearby clearing with his sword. Actually, the sword wasn't his, it was just a random sword the clan had lying around. But that didn't bother him, he was here to train and grow stronger. He didn't need anything fancy. It was a simple broadsword, the entire thing was black but that just made it appeal to Jaune more, for whatever reason. He stood with his sword ready and a few minutes later, a few weaker Beowolves showed up. They growled at him and had their teeth bared. Jaune got into his fighting stance before charging at the Grimm._

 _He quickly cut off the lower jaw of the Beowolf in front of him before he kicked off its chest. He landed in a crouch and the Beowolf to his right pounce. Jaune brought his sword up and impaled it through the chest before spinning his body and throwing the Grimm off the blade. He quickly met the third Grimm in a charge. He dodged the beast's claws before stabbing it in the opposite shoulder. As the blade got stuck, Jaune flipped over the Grimm, tearing the blade through and removing the entire arm as he landed back on his feet, behind it. He then spun and decapitated the Beowolf. As it fell he turned to face the first Beowolf. It was still standing but could no longer bite. It charged at Jaune in a blind fury. Jaune lowered his stance and waited. As it was nearly on him, he kicked off the ground and sliced the Grimm in half._

 _After that, Jaune took a breather. This was a regular thing now. He had found out his Negative Aura attracted Grimm. He figured out that it was fueled by negative emotions, so it made a lot of sense. He accepted it and decided to use it to improve himself further. Because of three weeks of fighting Grimm regularly, he held no more fear for Grimm. They wanted him dead because that was their nature. So, he had to either kill them or die. Death was not an option, if he wanted to be strong he had to live. And to live, one needed to be strong. As Raven had told him before and what had become his mantra, "The weak die. The strong live." He said out loud._

 _Jaune heard another growl and turned to see an older Beowolf step into the clearing. It wasn't an Alpha but it was definitely more experienced than the ones he just killed. Jaune adopted his fighting stance again and the Beowolf growled slightly. The two charged and when they met in the middle of the clearing, claws and the sword were clashing repeatedly. Neither gave an inch and soon, Jaune was holding back the claws of the Grimm with his sword. The Beowolf took the opportunity to lunge forward, intending to bite into Jaune's shoulder and neck. Jaune instinctively, sent aura into the shoulder and as his shoulder had a black flame like appearance, the Grimm bit down. At that moment, the Grimm's jaws were snapped open and the jaw of the Grimm was broken. Jaune took this chance to take his left hand away from his blade. He sent his aura into his palm and it gained the same black flame appearance. He slammed it into the beast's chest and it was sent flying into a tree several feet away. It fell and slowly began to rise. Jaune sent aura into his legs and shot forward and impaled it through the throat. It gave a gurgling cry before it was dead._

 _Jaune stepped back and was relaxing until he heard another sound and spun around to look at that part of the clearing. Out stepped Raven, not wearing her mask because she didn't usually wear it within the camp. Jaune relaxed again and stood tall, "Careful, I almost attacked you." He said with a grin._

 _She had one of her own, "And you would've lost."_

" _True." Jaune stated before he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "How long were you there?"_

" _From the beginning." She walked into the clearing more. "Must you always do this? Or is my training not enough for you?"_

 _Jaune shook his head. "It's good against people but I need to train against Grimm too. Besides, if I die to them then there's little point to this training."_

 _Raven nodded, "Point taken. So, how's this 'Negative Aura' going?"_

 _Jaune thought for a second. "It's the same as usual. Dark, cold and heavy but I don't mind it anymore. But, you wanna know if I figured out why it gets weaker after aura training, right?" Raven nodded and Jaune sighed, "I have a theory. Opposites attract. My aura is Negative now and everyone here is Positive, right?" Raven nodded. "Then I would believe that my negative aura is attracted to the positive aura's around me and is being absorbed."_

 _Raven's eyes went wide. "Are you sure?"_

 _Jaune nodded. "Would explain why everyone I fight has their aura last a lot longer. I believe they are absorbing it in close proximity. That's why my aura didn't return for so long, it kept being absorbed. And during our aura training, it is being absorbed more because we are both using our auras more than when I spar."_

 _Raven was thinking this over and nodded. "That does make sense. So, how are you going to rectify this. You're not going to be able to do much if your aura keeps being absorbed."_

" _The only thing I can do is keep training my aura. Once I have complete control, I'll be able to stop it. That's why my reserves are getting stronger, my improved control over my Aura is starting to stop the pull from the aura's around me."_

" _That does seem logical. But wouldn't it be preferable to just use your regular aura? I know you can still use it." Raven ventured._

" _No." Jaune said with full conviction. "I'm going to use my Negative Aura from now on." Raven was about to ask but he stopped her. "My aura was unlocked by Pyrrha. Using that to get stronger is like giving credit to_ _ **her, relying on her**_ _." His words were filled with venom when he said the last words. "I unlocked my Negative Aura on my own, it's a power I discovered on my own. I will use my own power to grow stronger. Not something from any of_ _ **them**_ _. I don't need pity." The pain and anger for those seven rose to the surface again and as it did, his Negative Aura grew stronger._

* * *

Jaune and Raven made it to the clearing they were venturing to. They stopped towards the center and Jaune felt the five people stop a decent distance from the tree line to stay hidden. Jaune took a breath before he spoke, "I suggest you five come out. I know you are there and have been following us." After a few seconds, the five people stepped forward, Goodwitch and Team CFVY. Jaune smirked under his mask. "So, Ozpin sent you, huh? Makes sense."

Velvet took a half-step forward, "Jaune? Is that really you?" she asked.

Jaune hesitated for a second before he reached up to his mask and took it off, revealing his face to them. He smiled, "Yeah. It's me, Vel."

Velvet brought her hand to her mouth in shock. Her team was on mission when Jaune returned and they were told all about it when they returned. She was hoping they were wrong, as crazy as that sounded. Jaune became one of her few true friends and she had developed a crush on him over time. She didn't want him to be like this. She felt Yatsuhashi place his hand on her shoulder but she felt no comfort from it. Goodwitch stepped in front of all of them. "Mr. Arc- " she was cut off when they heard the gunshot and the bullet fly past her head before hitting the tree behind her.

Jaune had drawn Souffrance Eternelle and fired as soon as he heard his old name. He stared at Goodwitch with restrained anger. "I am not Jaune Arc. I am Jaune Branwen, get it straight or the next one goes in your eye." He then holstered his gun but that didn't do anything to make them less worried. He just demonstrated how quickly he could draw and fire, it was terrifying.

Goodwitch pushed her glasses into place, "Fine. Mr. Branwen, you are coming with us."

Jaune snorted with that. "Not happening. I don't listen to you anymore. Besides, what did I do that was so wrong?" he asked with mock curiosity.

"What you did to Team CRDL is more than enough." She said with an edge.

"Oh yes, destroying a Team of would be Huntsmen, that would've used their position to do whatever they wanted. Throw the cuffs on me and take me away." He said sarcastically. Goodwitch growled with that. Jaune just ignored her and turned to CFVY. "I'm surprised you're here. You all hated CRDL, I thought you'd be happy with them getting what they deserved."

"They deserved a lot, but not that." Coco said.

"You see that's what people say when they aren't willing to do what is needed to be done." Jaune said as he looked at Coco.

"And your personal feelings had nothing to do with it?" Yatsuhashi added.

Jaune smirked more with that, "I never said that." He chuckled. "That was some real fun. Making those bastards suffer." He sighed before he grew serious. "Enough of that. Because I don't have any negative feelings against you four." His eyes trailed over CFVY but his eyes lingered on Velvet for a second longer. "I'll give you this chance to leave. That's your only chance."

They all stood resolute and Goodwitch spoke again, "We aren't leaving, Mr. Branwen."

Jaune sighed, "I hate repeating myself." He then flung his hand out as it was covered in his black aura. Goodwitch was covered in the same aura before she was sent flying into the forest, crashing through a tree or two. CFVY was shocked and turned back to Jaune. He was grinning. "I said those four, you weren't leaving, Professor."

Raven took off after Goodwitch with her aura after that. CFVY was about to go after her until Jaune landed between them and Raven. "Last chance." Was all he said before he put his mask on. "Otherwise, your dead." His voice took on an edge with that and they knew he was serious.

Fox shot forward and began his usual flurry of blows. Jaune drew Tourmentage Tordu and was deflecting every hit. The shape of the blade was sending vibrations up Fox's arms but that didn't stop him. Yatsuhashi came in shortly after with an overhead swing with his greatsword. Jaune quickly kicked off Fox's arms to send him backwards as the sword came down, missing him. Jaune landed before shooting forward with his aura. He was then fighting against the FY of CFVY. He was stopping Fox's furry of blows with his sword while he was deflecting Yatsuhashi sword, he could block his sword but it would cost too much stamina to do so. Jaune started to mix in his own hand-to-hand with his swordplay. He would hit them with elbows, knees, kicks and punches to strike weakened areas in their defenses. The entire time, he was slowly siphoning their auras, replenishing any aura he used.

Coco, meanwhile, had her minigun trained on Jaune the entire time but she had no shot. Jaune kept himself too close to her teammates and anytime they created space, he would close it. Whether that was on purpose of not, she wasn't sure. She condensed her minigun back into her bag before turning to Velvet, "I need to reposition. Get in there and give the boys a hand." Velvet stared at her before she resolved herself and nodded. She ran towards the fray. Coco took off to the side to try to get a better angle.

Jaune looked to see Velvet and Coco moving. 'So much as using these two as shields.' He thought to himself. He then saw Velvet create a copy of Crescent Rose and he knew he had to move. He delivered an aura powered fist to Fox's solar plexus. Fox kneeled over from having the air knocked out of him, Jaune jumped onto his back before kicking off him towards the giant and sending him to the floor. Jaune sheathed his sword and landed on Yatsuhashi's sword as he brought it up to defend himself. Jaune kicked off him and into the air. He flipped, drawing Sommeil Eternel and its twin, before firing all his bullets into Yatsuhashi. His sword stopped a few but few more made it past his defenses.

Jaune landed and quickly reloaded his revolvers with two speed loaders he had on his belt. He looked back up to see Velvet on him with her copy of the giant scythe. Jaune had no choice but to fall to the ground as Velvet swung, otherwise it would've struck his chest. Jaune spun on his left shoulder and fired a shot from Sommeil Eternel into the back of her leg, halfway up her shin. Eternel Sommeil had more bullet penetration but its firing speed was lowered from it. The bullet hit her leg but didn't break her aura. The bullet still stopped her from attacking and she fell to the ground in pain.

Jaune jumped back to his feet and heard a familiar revving sound. He turned in time to see he was in Coco's sights. He quickly holstered Souffrance Eternelle and ran towards the two male members of her team as she started to fire. The bullets were hitting the ground behind him and were gaining quickly. Jaune started to slide towards them and quickly used his borrowed Telekinesis to pull Fox towards him. Fox was yanked towards Jaune but before he could figure out what to do, Jaune wrapped his left arm around his neck and placed his revolver against the side of his head before turning them so Coco would have to fire through him to get to Jaune. Coco quickly stopped firing and Jaune smiled at that. Jaune charged aura into the bullet and pointed it towards her before firing. The bullet impacted the ground and exploded, sending Coco backwards.

Jaune had absorbed more of Fox's aura and the blind man was now sitting at two-thirds aura. He would've just absorbed the last of it but he didn't have the chance with the other two member's charging at him. He spun and kicked Fox in the ribs, sending him into Velvet and the two collapsed in a pile. He then charged at Yatsuhashi again. He holstered Sommeil Eternel before drawing his sword again and Souffrance Eternelle. Souffrance had a faster fire speed but lower bullet penetration. Jaune quickly fired three shots as he charged towards the giant. Yatsuhashi blocked the shots and Jaune used this chance to jump into the air, after holstering his gun. Jaune was about to deliver a two-handed strike to Yatsuhashi's dominate shoulder when an explosion caught his back. He was thrown through the air and landed in a heap. He looked up to see that Velvet and Fox were standing again, with Velvet having a copy of Magnhild.

Jaune got back to his feet and saw Yatsuhashi coming down with his own two-handed swing. Jaune brought up his blade to stop it and applied the last of his Telekinesis behind it to tank the hit. A huge crater was formed under them and both swordsmen's arms were shaking. Jaune felt the last of his borrowed Semblance fade away, 'So much for that.' He thought bitterly. He heard a noise and turned to see Fox had landed in the crater and was running towards him. Yatsuhashi had him pinned and he couldn't move. Jaune reached behind his back with his left hand and grabbed the bottom of his sheathe. He pulled it from his back and smacked Fox across the face with it, sending him sprawling to the ground. Jaune used the sheathe to cross with his sword to get better leverage and throw Yatsuhashi off him.

Jaune got a better grip on his sheathe and started to use it in conjunction with his sword to deal with Fox and Yatsuhashi. The whole time, he was absorbing more aura from the two until his aura was maxed out and he couldn't absorb anymore. At that time, he had to start dodging more weapons from Velvet, who had a copy of Penny Polendina's swords and was sending them into the crater. Jaune was being pushed back by the three-front battle and decided to reveal another part of his arsenal. He flipped his sheathe over his wrist and it magnetically clicked with his vambracer. It then folded out to form a black kite shield with a red edge, a half a size bigger then Crocea Mors. He used it to deflect the next volley of swords before shield bashing Fox and delivering a roundhouse kick to Yatsuhashi. He then jumped out of the crater and jumped back to gain some distance. He saw Coco standing up and firing on him again but he quickly used his shield to stop it. Coco stopped when she realized she wasn't doing anything. "The intel said nothing about you having a shield." She said out loud.

Jaune lowered his shield slightly and chuckled, "That's because I didn't need it against CRDL. I usually let my aura tank my damage while I fight but on the occasions where I can't afford to do so, I use this. This is Désespoir."

"Good to know." Coco nodded. "Now!" she shouted. Fox charged him at extreme speeds and Jaune quickly parried his attacks with his blade. Fox locked Tourmentage Tordu with his arm blade as Yatsuhashi was on his other side with a downward swing. Jaune stopped it with Désespoir but he was now a sitting duck. He looked forward to see Coco about to fire on him and he peeked over his shoulder to see Velvet charging a laser with her swords. 'No choice.' He thought and closed his eyes, soon his body was covered with his aura, giving him the appearance of being engulfed in black flames. The females of CFVY fired and Jaune opened his eyes and screamed. The aura erupted from him and sent the males of CFVY flying away. The bullets and laser hit the aura as it continued outwards, the bullets were sent flying in random directions and the laser was just being pushed back. A few of Coco's bullets rebounded at her and she quickly stopped firing. Velvet stopped because she was using too much aura to continue the attack.

The aura soon stopped and faded away, leaving Jaune standing in the center of it. He popped his neck before he sighed, "Haven't used that in a while, congratulations on forcing me to."

The members of CFVY were soon standing on shaky legs and Jaune started to sense their aura levels. Fox was at a quarter, Yatsuhashi was at a third, Coco was at half and Velvet was at two-thirds. Meanwhile his own was at three-quarters. "What was that?" Velvet asked in shock.

Jaune turned to her, "My Semblance." They all looked shock by this. "My Semblance allows anything that exerts a force onto my aura, to be hit with a force twice as strong as it, at minimum. It's a handy defensive Semblance and that maneuver I used is my ultimate defense, although it does use a lot of aura. But I've figures out ways to weaponize it. Like that explosive bullet I used on you Coco." He smirked at her shock face. "My Semblance is known as Distortion."

"But we were told your Semblance was Aura Siphoning or Semblance Stealing." Velvet said in shock.

Jaune shrugged, "I never said that and those details are classified." Before any of them could react, Jaune shot off towards Fox with his aura. He charged his Semblance into his right hand as he was holding his sword, his fist gaining that black flame appearance, and hit Fox in the stomach. He was sent flying and he smashed into two trees, that collapsed onto him and pinned him there. His aura was shattered and he laid there unconscious.

Jaune turned and ran towards Yatsuhashi. The giant went for a horizontal swing but Jaune slid under it and hit him in the stomach with the pointed end of his shield. He then slashed left across his stomach with it, the edges of Désespoir were sharpened so he could use it offensively as well as defensively. He followed this up with an upward swing with his sword across his chest. His aura broke and Jaune swung down, leaving a cut across his chest diagonally. Yatsuhashi collapsed afterwards.

Coco released her whole payload against Jaune with that. Jaune charged towards her with his shield blocking the bullets. He sent his aura and Semblance into it, the result was the bullets were being reflected at Coco, instead of random directions. Coco stopped firing and used her minigun to protect herself. Jaune jumped into the air and landed on the barrel, which shoved it into the ground. Jaune then kicked her in the chest and sent her skidding backwards without her weapon. Jaune then shot after her and kneed her in the stomach. She was lifted off the ground and the air was knocked out of her. He followed up with an elbow to her back, driving her into the ground. Her aura was about to break and to finish it, Jaune stomped down on the back of her knee; breaking it and her aura. She cried out in pain before she passed out.

Jaune turned to Velvet who now had a version of Coco's minigun. Jaune noticed she had a conflicted look on her face and that she was favoring the leg he shot earlier. He started to charge her and she was about to open fire but Jaune moved his sword to his left hand and drew Sommeil Eternel before firing into her other leg. Velvet screamed in pain and collapsed to her knees, her weapon disappeared with the loss of her concentration. She looked back up and Jaune was standing there with his sword at her throat. She stared at him in fear, believing she was going to die and by her crush no less.

Jaune just looked at her and growled slightly. He collapsed Désespoir into its sheathe form before sheathing Tourmentage Tordu and placed it on his back. He reached his hand out as it started to glow black with his aura but not his Semblance. Her brown aura came to the surface and was slowly being absorbed by Jaune. Her aura was in the red when Jaune was back at full. He lowered his hand and Velvet just stared up at him in shock. She froze when he spoke, "I recommend you call for your bullhead. Your team will survive but they'll need medical attention." He started to walk away and Velvet just stared at him.

Jaune walked to the other edge of the clearing and stopped. A minute or so later, Goodwitch was dropped beside him by his wife. Goodwitch's clothes were ripped and cut. She had a few shallow cuts and bruises. Her hair was disheveled, along with her glasses being cracked. He then turned to his wife, who had barely a scratch on her, "Looks like you had little difficulty." He smiled.

Raven just tilted her head, "Was there any doubt?"

Jaune just shook his head and knelt beside Goodwitch, "Just one last thing to do." He took her scroll off her and dialed Ozpin for a video call.

Ozpin soon picked up, "Glynda, how was the mission?" He stopped when he saw the mask face looking back at him. "Mr. Arc?"

Jaune growled again, "Branwen, Ozpin. And yes, it is."

"What happened to Glynda and my students?" he asked with an edge.

Jaune just continued on, "Your students are fine but will need medical attention. Glynda on the other hand," he stopped and angled the scroll to show her. "Isn't doing so great."

"Jaune." He said in a calming tone. "You don't have to do this. You ended up this way because of me and my choices. Don't punish her for my mistakes." He pleaded.

Jaune chuckled and pointed his scroll back to his masked face, "How wrong you are. I'm like this because of me, Ozpin. I chose to leave Beacon, to join and train under Raven. To join her clan, marry her and to fulfill our goal. I chose to become Jaune Branwen and I regret nothing." He handed the scroll to Raven with that and she started to record what would happen next. "And I warned you what would happen if you sent people after us and now, you'll see what I can really do." Jaune knelt beside Goodwitch and channeled aura into his right hand. He then placed it onto her chest and sent his Negative Aura into her.

Goodwitch's eyes flew open and she screamed out in extreme agony. It felt like ice and fire were being forced into her body. It traveled throughout her chest in a fast but meticulous way, covering all her chest in seconds. Any aura she had was snuffed out by it and she could feel this darker energy traveling through it to its source. When it met her pool of aura, her soul, it surrounded it and the pain she was feeling was amplified more than she could describe. The energy started to penetrate her soul and she kept screaming until she was hoarse. The energy then grabbed onto a piece of her soul and started to pull on it. She tried to scream but couldn't. She was screaming silently as tears trailed down her face and saliva was spilling from her mouth. She then finally felt that piece of her be torn away and she just stopped. Her screams just stopped and her body went limp as her vision went black.

Jaune stood up and held his hand out to the scroll. It looked like a black flame was in his hand and a smaller purple flame was in the center of it. "This is a piece of her soul, Ozpin. The piece that gave her, her Semblance." He closed his fist and the flames were gone. His entire body was covered in those same black flames before the shifted to purple before shifting back to black. Jaune called his aura back into his body as he smiled under his mask. "And now, it's mine."

After seeing all of that, Ozpin was stunned silent. He had no idea on what he just saw. Jaune took the scroll back before talking, "That is what'll happen to every person you send after me. I'll either break them or take what makes them powerful." He dropped the scroll and it was angled so it could see Jaune but not Goodwitch. He pulled out Sommeil Eternel and pointed it at Goodwitch. "The weak die." He fired his bullet into her chest, killing her. "The strong live." He said as he holstered his gun. He then walked over to the scroll. "Those are the rules." Was all he said a she stomped down on it, shattering it.

* * *

 **A/N- That was a long chapter and probably the best one so far for Distortion, at least in my opinion. Now, for the people wondering why Jaune didn't kill CFVY, I have my reasons. And there are a couple of clues in this chapter for what I have planned. I also put out a one-shot, Jaune's Inferno, feel free to give it a look if you want. And I feel like this needs a cover image/poster. If any of you wanna make one, I would appreciate it greatly and would love to use it. Again, a big thank you and shout out to Jauneforever for being the Beta Reader for Distortion. That's all I got for now. Catch ya in the next update.  
**


	7. Another Step Closer

Distortion

It had been about an hour since Jaune and Raven dealt with Goodwitch. Shortly after he destroyed her scroll, Raven opened a portal for the two of them. She was about to step through but noticed that Jaune was doing something with his scroll. Before she could ask, he put it away and stepped through the portal. She was confused but followed him, nonetheless. As she stepped through, she saw that Jaune was leaning against a tree in a meditative position with his mask off, his hood was still up though. She had moved them to the complete opposite side of the forest they were in.

She knew exactly what Jaune was doing and knew it would be some time before he'd be ready to move again. Which left her to watch out for him for the foreseeable future. This was not the first time Jaune had stolen another person's Semblance but that didn't mean he had mastered it completely. It took many tries and the loss of many powerful abilities but, he finally had a grasp on what he needed to do now.

The first time he ever discovered this unique ability was by accident. They weren't sure if this ability came from his Negative aura, his Semblance or even a combination of the two. He was fighting a difficult opponent and tried to absorb their aura like usual. Except, he did it through physical contact. He described it like his Negative aura didn't just absorb the poor fool's aura. It fed on it. Instead of refilling his aura reserves, it made his aura stronger and it didn't stop until it reached their soul. Next thing he knew, he had ripped out a part of their soul. He absorbed it out of reflex and he found he could use their Semblance. He didn't realize it until later, but the Semblance wasn't permeant. The piece of soul eventually withered away and he lost a useful ability. He theorized that the piece needed to be integrated into his own soul to survive or it would inevitably die out.

The next time they found a useful Semblance, he put that theory to the test. He ripped out the poor girl's Semblance but this time, he integrated the piece into his own soul. He could use the Semblance but that also didn't last for long. Eventually when he tried to use it during a mission, his Negative aura went crazy and absorbed the soul in its entirety. His aura levels heightened from it but he had lost the Semblance, again. He figured that he didn't do the process correctly and because of that, his aura was constantly feeding on the remains of the soul until it finally consumed it.

Through several other encounters, Jaune finally figured how to absorb and claim another person's Semblance completely. But, it was still time consuming. She looked back over to him as his black aura manifested before it turned purple then back to black before fading away. Right now, he was working on integrating what was left of Goodwitch into his soul. Enough so he could use Telekinesis but not too much, to stop his aura from feeding on it.

It was also because of these trials that they figured out how to temporarily loan their Semblance to the other. It could only work because their auras were already fused together. All they needed to do was to channel more of their aura into the other and their auras would resonate. The aura already fused in them would use the new amount of aura to mimic the Semblance. The fused aura could do so because it 'remembered' how to use the Semblance when it was in their original host, for a lack of better term.

When the hour was up, Jaune finally stood from his meditative position and stretched his cramped muscles. "So, you're done?" Raven asked as she removed her mask.

Jaune nodded, "Yup. Took some extra time to be sure that it was done properly. We've lost too many Semblances already."

Raven nodded, "So, why did you kill her? There really was no need to."

Jaune shrugged, "We both know that anyone that does survive that process is not much better than a vegetable. Or they just lose whatever sanity they have left. She may have stood in our way, but she deserved a better fate than that."

"Makes sense, she was one of the most powerful Huntresses out there. She deserved an honorable end." Raven had a small smile, "Or are you just getting soft on me?"

Jaune returned the smile, "Oh please, if I was soft, I wouldn't have joined the tribe. Remember?" She did and so did Jaune. That moment is what lead them done this path of theirs.

* * *

 _It was the middle of the night but there was Jaune. Breathing raggedly and covered in sweat. He was sat on a rock outcrop in the middle of a clearing not far from the camp. He looked around slowly to observe the carnage he created. Around the entire clearing were the bodies of Grimm. Dozens of them. Bodies of Beowolves, Ursai, both Minor and Major, Boarbatusks and even a few small Nevermore. But the real prize was what was in the center of the clearing. No more than ten feet from the rock outcrop he was sitting on was the dissolving body of a King Taijitu, cut in half. The black half was on the south side of the clearing, the farthest point from the white half which was next to Jaune. The white head also had Jaune's black broadsword stabbed in its eye. Jaune turned away from his kill to look up at the fractured moon with a smile. "It's official. I've clearly surpassed what I was at Beacon."_

 _It had been three months since he accepted Raven's offer and he was completely different. He had developed his own fighting style now, it wasn't perfected yet but it was effective. He had learned from all the intermediate and weaker tribe members, gaining necessary skills for combat. He still sparred with the higher ups of the intermediate level but the true masters of the tribe refused to train him. They thought it was pointless, why train someone with no actual allegiance to the tribe? Jaune had also had a grasp of several martial arts that the tribe had at their disposal and he learned how to use firearms. He had no patience for rifles and he found sub and full-auto machine guns to be too wasteful. Shotguns he was okay with but they found that he was a marksman when it came to handguns._

 _Along with that, he had learned further control over his aura or Negative aura in this case. He still hadn't mastered it but now he could walk around with at least seventy percent of his Negative aura. The other thirty was still being absorbed but he just needed to learn further control. He also found that now he was starting to absorb the aura of weaker tribe members. Made sense, if his Negative aura was being absorbed by those with stronger Positive aura then his Negative Aura would now begin siphoning off weaker Positive aura. He'd have to figure out how to stop his Negative aura from absorbing aura constantly, it wasn't good to have the weaker members even weaker because of it. And with his greater aura and control, he all but mastered his Semblance. Distortion. A fitting name he had to admit. A powerful shield to defend himself. But was that all? Could he not use this shield as a sword to destroy those in his path?_

 _He chuckled darkly, "A few months ago, I would've been appalled by a thought like that. But now, it just seems…. fitting. I started down this path for strength, why wouldn't I be thinking about how to get more? Don't you agree, Raven?" He turned to the black half of the King Taijitu and saw Raven slowly making her way over to him. He also started being able to sense Positive aura that was around him but he could only identify Raven's at this point. But that was because she taught him aura control, he was exposed to her aura more so than anyone else's._

 _She looked around the clearing before looking back at him. "Impressive."_

 _Jaune smirked at her, "I thought so. Hell, just a few more Nevermore, an Alpha Beowolf or two and a Death Stalker, and it'd be exactly like that night. Well, almost." He channeled his Aura into his hand and it started to glow black._

 _Raven nodded as she stood by the rock outcropping. "True. You've grown so much in such a short time. Shame Ozpin didn't put you through a regiment like mine. Then maybe you wouldn't have lost everything." She said this purposely to see how Jaune would react. He had been acting strangely the last week or two. At least for him. She was shocked to see him not even flinch but nod with her._

" _He probably didn't want to break me." He chuckled lightly. "But, to be honest, I don't really care much anymore." He stopped channeling his aura and turned to Raven. "If they never betrayed me. I would've never went into the forest and met you. And you helped me to become what I am now. I owe you, a lot. So, to pay you back, I want to join the tribe, officially."_

 _Raven was stunned. She wanted Jaune to join but she thought she'd have to do a bit more to convince him, possibly even seduce him. But her he was offering himself to her. "I'm honestly shocked you want to join. Wasn't your goal to return to Beacon?"_

 _Jaune just looked to the sky. "It was." He looked back to her. "But let's be serious, I never really belonged their anyways. I felt like an outcast there then I felt lower than dirt when everyone betrayed me. How would I be able to work with people who stabbed me in the back once already. It'd just be pointless." He jumped down from the rock to stand in front of Raven. "But, I feel like being here is different. The tribe's members respect me and see me as a comrade. Even the higher ups are impressed by me, even if they don't trust me yet. I know I can trust the tribe more than anyone I knew at Beacon. And they feel more like a family than the Arcs ever did. I belong here, Raven."_

 _Raven just looked into his eyes, "Can you throw your past away?"_

" _Already done." He said simply. "The people in my past only ever gave me pain and negativity. I used that to push myself further than anyone could've imagined and I'm still using it so I will never stop moving forward. To never look back. I no longer need them. Any of them."_

 _Raven looked at him for a bit. "Kneel." She commanded. Jaune smiled before he did so, with his head bowed and his right fist planted on the ground. "Do you swear to cast off your past? To live for only the Tribe? To serve only the Tribe? To die for the Tribe?"_

" _I swear." Jaune said with finality flooding his voice. "I live to serve the Tribe. My life and death belong to the Tribe."_

 _He saw the hilt to a dagger in front of his face. He looked to see Raven holding a white bladed dagger out to him. He was told it was made from Grimm bones and was able to bypass aura. "Prove it."_

 _Jaune took it with his left hand before dragging the blade across his right hand with no hesitation. The dagger cut through his aura and cut deeply into his hand. His hand started to bleed and he simply clenched his fist as his blood dripped from his fingers. He placed his fist over his heart and looked into Raven's eyes, never blinking. "I swear that the blood in my veins and the heart that pumps it belongs to nothing but the Tribe."_

" _What is our mantra." She asked._

" _The strong live. The weak die." He replied simply._

 _Raven held his gaze before she smiled and held out her right hand. Jaune took it and she pulled him to his feet as his blood dripped from their conjoined hands. "Welcome to your new home and family, Jaune."_

 _Jaune just smiled before continuing. "Good to be here." As he said those words, the last of the white half of the King Taijitu evaporated and his sword fell the foot or so before impaling the ground. There was no turning back for Jaune now, but he had no intention of doing so. The Arcs, RWBY, JNPR, they were his past. The Tribe was his present._

* * *

The two were roused from their walk down memory lane when Jaune's scroll went off. He pulled it out and saw who was calling him. He answered it immediately, "What is it, Senior?" There was a pause, "So Onyx showed up, great. He's still there, right?" There was another pause, "What!? Damn it, we'll be there soon." Jaune hung up his scroll and turned to his wife. "Onyx got the information but his team and that prick followed him. He got out of there to avoid them finding out about Senior and us."

Raven looked annoyed, "Lovely." She drew her sword and created her portal. The two stepped through it and wound up in Senior's bar. They saw Senior behind his bar as usual, if he was shocked to see him he didn't show it. "Any idea on where he went?" Raven asked Senior as Jaune pulled out his scroll again.

Senior shook his head, "No, ma'am. He just ran in to tell me to get a hold of Jaune and said he had to get out of Mistral. He left and saw a group of Haven students chasing him. I wanted to call you sooner but Huntsmen have been running around like crazy for the last hour or so. They literally just calmed down."

She sighed, before she turned to Jaune, "Anything?"

"Just a second." He replied without looking up. "There. He's not too far away from Mistral, maybe a mile or two." He showed his scroll to Raven, "Can you open a portal?"

Raven nodded before she swung her blade and the portal formed. "It won't be exact but you should be within a mile or so of him."

Jaune nodded as he put his mask back on, "No problem. Hopefully, this team will do better than CRDL." He dove through the portal and it closed immediately.

Raven stood there for a second before Senior cleared his throat, "Can I get you anything, ma'am?"

She looked at him before turning away, "No, I need to set a few things up when Jaune is finished." She turned back to him with a small smile, "You did very well, thank you, Senior."

He was just stunned as she opened a portal and stepped through it. After a minute or so, he shook himself from his stupor and scratched the back of his head, "Think that was the first time she ever thanked me." He chuckled, "Jaune must have some effect on her." With that he went back to cleaning his bar.

* * *

Jaune stepped out from the portal to find himself deep within one of Mistral's plentiful forests. He quickly tried to focus on finding Onyx's aura but found nothing, he was outside his range. He sighed in annoyance, "Never that simple." He quickly used his aura and agility to make his way up one of the larger trees around him. Once he was on top of it he quickly scanned the area before he saw a smoke like flare go up not even a quarter mile away from where he was. He then realized that it wasn't smoke but steam. Jaune smirked, "That'll be Onyx." He used his aura to kick off the tree and fly towards the spot he just saw the signal come from. The force in which he kicked off the tree, tore the top half off. He kept jumping from tree to tree, moving faster with each one.

Onyx was leaning against a tree, he had his black bow, Clade Tenebris, in his left hand and he had right hand by his side. He was breathing raggedly as he glared at his former 'team'. Standing a few feet in front of him was his former leader, Corbett Michaels. He was dressed in a black and silver motif with slick back brunette hair. His broadsword held lazily in his right hand. "Looks like this is the end of the road for you, Shade."

"It's so great that you were hacking the computers when we found you. Now we won't be punished for this." Onyx turned his head slightly. Behind Corbett and to his right was his former partner, Miles Ericson, he was dressed in his usual red and black clothing along with a red beret. He had his weapon out as well, his modified Desert Eagle, painted red and black.

"Too bad. You put up much more of a fight but you weren't much better than those other weaklings." Onyx's head turned to his right and standing there, mirroring Miles, was his other teammate, Mitchell Ryan. He was wearing his usual clothing colored silver with gold accents with his dirty blonde hair spiked up. He was wielding his pair of battle axes, looked more like hatchets, as he smirked at Onyx.

"Shut your damn mouth!" Onyx shouted. "They were stronger than any of you! You just decided to eliminate them to get your own way! Some fucking Huntsmen you turned out to be!"

Soon they heard a chuckle and he looked behind his old team to see the last of them. Oliver Thomas. He was the member of the other team they had dealt with prior to this. He was wearing his usual green attire with white accents. His pants were black and he had a red bandana around his neck. His long hair was pulled into a ponytail. He was flipping his dagger in his left hand as he was leant against a tree. "That may be true. But there is no evidence and no one will believe you after what you did." He got off the tree before pulling his sword to rest his right shoulder. "Enough talk, finish him."

Onyx quickly pulled an arrow from his quiver faster than they could react. The whole arrow was black besides the head, which was white. The arrowhead contained steam dust that would be released on contact. That was until Onyx flicked a small switch in the fletching of the arrow as he pulled the string back. He quickly aimed up into the air and fired. The arrow slowly started to release steam, making an impromptu flare. The other four stared up in shock before they turned back to him, "Well, that seemed stupid." Corbett said before he went to stab him. That was until a red and black flamberge came down and drove the blade into the ground and shattering the ground with the speed behind it. The four were shocked at the arrival of the black and red clad swordsman wearing a Grimm mask. That was until he kicked Corbett in the chest, sending him flying back before he whipped his other hand out and black aura surrounded Miles and Mitchell before sending them flying as well.

"Sorry I'm late." was all Jaune said as he turned to Onyx.

He just chuckled. "Better late than never. So, what's the plan?"

Jaune cracked his neck, "You cover me. I'll deal with them."

"Fine by me. I'm exhausted." Onyx replied.

"So, who is this Onyx? A friend?" Oliver asked with a sneer.

"You could say that." Jaune said before adding darkly, "And your executioner."

The other members were standing now, "Oh please, it's four-on-one." Mitchell answered.

Jaune just shrugged, "So? I destroyed a team of Huntsmen in training at your level and one that was nearly full-fledged Huntsmen and Huntresses. Plus, I just personally killed Glynda Goodwitch." He added menacingly.

The four was shocked along with Onyx but he quickly got over it. "No way…" Miles said in disbelief.

"Oh, it is _very_ true." Jaune answered. "So…" He got into a relaxed sword stance, "Who's first?"

Corbett charged forward with his broadsword and Jaune engaged him in his swordplay. Jaune was the clear-cut superior between the two, so Miles and Mitchell jumped into help him. That was until two orange tipped arrows flew at them. They used their weapons to guard but the ensuing explosion sent them flying, again. The two swordsmen were still going at it but Jaune was tiring out his opponent. He was siphoning his aura and the vibrations from Tourmentage Tordu were weakening his arms. The two crossed blades and were in a power struggle. "Pretty good." Jaune told him before he jumped and gave him a roundhouse kick to his face that sent him into a tree. The impact caused the remains of his dark blue aura to shatter.

Corbett looked to see Jaune making his way towards him. He quickly stood and sheathed his broadsword. He pulled the hilt into a forty-five-degree angle before pulling the entire sheathe from his belt. His weapon was now a rifle and he had it aimed at Jaune. Jaune charged at him before shouting, "Onyx!" He slid to the ground as Corbett fired, missing him. That's when a dark-blue tipped arrow went down the barrel of his gun and froze the entire barrel in thick ice. Corbett couldn't think about it much before Jaune was back on his feet. He used his left arm to knock his rifle to the side and plunged his blade through his chest. Corbett stared in shock before he coughed off some blood and his eyes glazed over. He dropped his weapon and fell to the ground as Jaune removed his blade from his chest.

Jaune turned to the three remaining Huntsmen-in-training. They were dumbfounded to see that their comrade was taken down in less than a minute. Oliver growled and pointed his dagger at Jaune, "Shoot him, you idiots!"

Miles pointed his handgun at Jaune while Mitchells axes started to mecha shift. The axe heads slid halfway down the shaft and the handles turned ninety degrees to connect with the blade of the axe heads. The remainder of the shafts were now the barrels of his hand guns. The two started to open fire on Jaune with that. Jaune simply called his Semblance, his whole body appeared to be covered in black flames and the bullets were redirected in random directions. They stopped firing and Jaune dismissed his Semblance. He then quick drew with his left hand, and fired all six shots of Souffrance Eternelle. The three were forced to dodge before they all charged Jaune. Oliver had both his sword and dagger ready, Mitchell had both weapons back into their axe forms and with a flick of his wrist, Miles' gun moved ninety degrees to be perfectly straight and a blade had extended from it, creating a short sword.

Jaune holstered his revolver and ran forward to lock blades with Oliver, who had to use his dagger to help support his sword, while Mitchell and Miles tried to attack him with a pincer attack. Jaune grabbed Oliver by his collar and swung him towards Miles, knocking him away before he let go and sent Oliver flying. Jaune continued to spin and held his sword horizontally to stop the two axes from coming down on his head. Mitchell smirked and pulled his triggers. Two bullets shot out of the shafts and sent him back, breaking the deadlock. Jaune was about to engage him again when he heard it.

"Jaune!" he turned to see Onyx with a white tipped arrow. Jaune jumped into the air as he fired. The arrow stuck into the ground, creating a thick mist to act as a smokescreen. Mitchell was blinded and had no idea on what to do. That was until Jaune started to attack him. He was using every skill he had to not get hit by Jaune's blade. Jaune went for a horizontal slash for his throat and Mitchell moved his right axe to stop the blade. He then hooked his other axe on the blade and managed to throw it into the air. He quickly swung with his right axe but Jaune raised his left arm to block it as it was covered in black flames. As soon as the axe hit, it was thrown back and Mitchell felt his arm swing out at high speed before he heard a popping sound. His arm was dislocated and his axe went flying from his grip. Jaune then stomped his foot that was cloaked in his aura and the wind it created blew the mist to their right away. Mitchell looked to see Onyx with his arrow aimed at him. He fired and Mitchell caught the yellow tipped arrow in his shoulder before he felt electricity surging through him. He screamed in pain and that increased when his grey aura shattered. He saw Jaune catch his sword left handed before his right hand shot out to grab his face. Jaune slammed him head first into the ground as hard as he could. As his head broke the ground, Jaune heard a distinct sound of bone breaking. Safe to say he was dead.

Jaune stood back up and turned. He saw that Miles was now charging at him with his short sword. The two had a heated exchange. He was good with a sword but Jaune knew how to use his left hand nearly as well as his right. Miles went for another vertical swing but when his sword was about to meet Jaune's blade, the blade was missing. The weapon continued until the barrel of the handgun was pointed at Jaune's chest. The bullet hit Jaune and he was forced back a couple feet. Miles quickly shifted his weapon into its final mode as he ran towards the distracted swordsman. The weapon looked just like its sword form but the blade was missing. Miles' channeled all his aura into the weapon and a blade of crimson energy was created. He jumped and slashed diagonally across Jaune's chest. He landed in a crouch was sure he just won. Jaune was unmoving until he drew Sommeil Eternel and Miles was staring down the barrel. Jaune pulled the trigger and the floor was painted red. His body fell to the ground shortly after.

Jaune holstered his gun before he rubbed his chest. "Impressive weapon. Too bad that blade was made of aura and not actual energy." Jaune reached down and picked it up. He examined it for a bit before he attached it to the back of his belt. "Might be useful later." Jaune then turned to the last of them.

Oliver was shaking. This masked swordsman just massacred his friends with very little effort. He wanted to run, to try to survive. But what would be the point? He doubted that this monster would just let him go. If he wanted to live he'd have to fight. He got back into his stance and stopped his shaking. Jaune saw this and nodded, "You have guts. Too bad you fucked with the wrong guy." Jaune shifted his flamberge to his right hand and got into his own stance.

The two stood for a second or two until they charged. They two clashed repeatedly, the sounds of metal hitting metal echoing around the forest. Jaune had to admit, this guy was skilled with his weapons. Although, he wasn't completely serious when fighting these four. He wanted to see Onyx's resolve to their cause. So far, he was passing with flying colors but he had one last thing to test. Oliver's aura was low enough now to see how far Onyx would go. Their two swords clashed again but he let Oliver direct his sword towards the ground. Oliver lifted his dagger into the air and was going to drive it into Jaune's exposed neck. That was until three black arrows flew through the air. They hit his wrist, elbow and shoulder of his left arm, in that order with only a second separating the impacts. The arrows shattered his green aura and pierced through his body. He screamed in pain and dropped his dagger as he arm fell uselessly to the side. Jaune channeled his Semblance into his right foot, he kicked the falling dagger and it went flying into his right shoulder. Oliver screamed again and dropped his sword. Jaune grabbed it and crossed it with his own across his neck.

Jaune heard footsteps behind him and he saw Onyx in the corner of his eye. "Jaune." He turned to look into his eyes and saw the determination in them. Jaune nodded and stepped away. He plunged the sword into the ground before sheathing his own. Oliver fell to his knees and looked up as Onyx stepped in front of him. Onyx looked own at him with cold eyes before he split his bow in two. The arms collapsed in on themselves until he was now holding two daggers. He crossed them across his neck like Jaune just did and slashed his throat. Blood sprayed from his neck before he fell to the ground. Onyx sheathed his daggers in their sheathes that were on the back of his belt. He turned to Jaune, "Did I pass?"

Jaune smirked under his mask, "So, you figured it out."

He just raised an eyebrow at Jaune, "I've seen you fight. You were clearly holding back."

Jaune nodded, "True. I wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into. This was your chance to walk away. But you didn't. So, are you ready?"

He nodded, "I have been for months."

Jaune took out his scroll to send his GPS to Raven before he looked to Onyx. "Bring up the program on your scroll." Onyx did what he was told and the black screen and Grimm skull appeared again. It then uploaded the files it stole from Onyx's scroll to Jaune's before Onyx's scroll started to smoke. He dropped it and looked at Jaune, annoyed. "That is a precaution. Besides, we gotta better one for you." He put his scroll away and Raven's portal opened a few feet away. Jaune nodded his head towards it before they walked through it.

They arrived in a forest clearing and they were met with Raven, with her mask off. "I take it he passed?"

Jaune removed his mask and nodded, "With flying colors." He turned back to Onyx, "This is Raven."

Onyx bowed his head in respect. "A pleasure to finally meet you."

Raven nodded at him, "Same to you." He looked back at her and she got serious. "Now kneel." Onyx looked to Jaune, who nodded. He did as he was told. Raven then spoke up again, "Do you swear to cast off your past? To live for only the Tribe? To serve only the Tribe? To die for the Tribe?"

"I swear to serve the Tribe and by extension, you and Jaune." He said with conviction.

"Then prove it." She handed him the same white bladed dagger she gave to Jaune almost a year ago. Onyx took off his right glove before taking the dagger and cutting his hand. As blood ran from his hand, he clenched his fist and put it to his chest. He stared into her eyes and didn't say a word. Raven watched him like a hawk before she gained a small smile and nodded. Jaune helped him to his feet and he handed Raven the dagger. "Welcome to the Tribe." She said.

"Welcome to Knightingale." Jaune added with a smile and that caused Raven to sigh in annoyance. Onyx tried not to chuckle. Raven then escorted him and Jaune out of the clearing and into the forest. They walked for a few minutes before they came to a cave entrance. They escorted him into it and slowly they made their way into a giant chamber that had dozens of torches lining the walls and was filled with pedestals with Grimm masks on several of them. "These are the remaining masks of the Tribe. They are only given to the strongest and are our highest honor. The ones that are missing are either in the procession of the remaining members or were destroyed. Raven agrees with me that you have earned one."

Onyx looked at them in shock, "Which one is mine?"

"That is for you to find out." Raven said simply and Jaune nodded with her. Onyx looked back at the pedestals. He walked along them looking at the remaining ones. They were all intimidating and gave him a slight chill when he was near them. That was until his eyes landed on a certain mask, it looked like a Beowolf. He walked towards it. He didn't feel intimidated but comforted, like it was calling to him. He reached his hand out to it and the mask was quickly covered in a black miasma. He flinched for a second before he continued forward and placed his hand on top of it. The miasma disappeared and Onyx picked it up. "The Beowolf. It represents speed and the ability to work well with a pack. But they can learn and grow until they become Alphas." Raven said out loud. Onyx turned back around to see Raven and Jaune had placed their masks back on their faces. "Wear it with pride." Raven told him. Onyx looked back down at the mask. His mask. He smiled before he placed it on his face. They were one step closer to fulfilling their plan.

* * *

 **A/N- It's finally here! Sorry for the long wait but I wanted to put all my effort into TES since it was close to the end. With it now done, I will be giving this story the attention I was giving to TES, for the next few months that is. Meaning weekly or biweekly updates! Also, I have a poll on my page for my next Jaune-centric story, feel free to check it out. Also, I liked to thank Jauneforever for Betareading this chapter, complete legend there. With that said, I'll see you all in the next update!  
**


	8. Calm Before the Storm

Distortion

It had been a few days now. Ozpin was sitting at his desk with his fingers intertwined. He had his forehead resting on them as he looked down at his desk. He was rewatching the fight between CRDL and Jaune on repeat. He wasn't even watching it at this point, just thinking. If he would've reconsidered that one fight, would things be different? Would CRDL still be able to become Huntsmen? Would RWBY and NPR be going through such severe pain? Would Glynda still be alive?

Those were the questions going through his head repeatedly. Ever since he saw Jaune execute Glynda and destroy her scroll. He was relieved that CFVY was relatively unharmed. Their injuries were bad but not career or life threatening. Fox had the worst of the injuries, his right shoulder and knee were dislocated while his left arm and leg we broken. Yatsuhashi was the next, he had a massive cut across his chest that needed many stitches and sutures to close but, surprisingly, the cut never touched any of his internal organs. Coco was next, her knee was clearly broken but aside from that, she was fine. Velvet was in the best shape, she had severe bruising on both her legs from Jaune's bullets and she needed crutches to help her get around, that was it. Their auras would fix the damage in time but right now, it was returning very slowly, like CRDL's. Ozpin concluded that that was a result from having their auras siphoned off by Jaune.

Ozpin sighed before he shut off the video. He removed his glasses and gently massaged his eyes with his right hand. For the first time in a long time, he had no idea on what he should do. Jaune was dangerous, but what should he do? Sending more Huntsmen after him could just make the situation worse and if he could really steal a person's Semblance, that would just give him the potential to become far worse. But leaving him to do what he wanted was just as hazardous, especially with Raven involved. The situation was more confusing because he no longer had Glynda by his side.

He removed his hand and looked up to the ceiling. "I'll have to wait for Qrow to return. He may have more information to go off on." He sighed, "For now, I'll have to tread carefully. And try to stop _this_ from going any farther." As he said that, he looked out his window to see and Atlas flagship in the air docks. When Glynda's body was brought back to Beacon, Ozpin had informed the other's in the inner circle about her death. James responded with saying he was on his way. Ozpin knew that James would act more emotional than the others but he had to try to reason with him. Him running into this, guns blazing, could end disastrously.

With that, the elevator opened revealing three people who walked into his office. Ironwood was in the front, walking over with a purpose in his step. Winter was on his right, a step behind him with her usual neutral look on her face. The third person was on the left, mirroring Winter. The young man stood at around five feet eleven inches. He was wearing a dark purple variant of an Atlas soldier's armor with yellow accents. The helmet covering his head but you could tell he was lightly tanned from the small amount of his face that was not covered. He also had a spear across his back; it was as tall as him with a serrated blade. It was also dark purple with yellow accents, along with the edge of the blade being yellow. The three stopped a couple of feet from Ozpin's desk. "I'm here, Oz." Ironwood said.

Ozpin sighed tiredly. "I could tell, James." He turned to look at Winter, "Good to see you again, Winter." She nodded her head at the Headmaster as he turned his gaze to the last individual. "I'm sorry but I don't think we've met."

The young man turned to the General who nodded his head. The young man reached up and removed his helmet. As he did, his long blonde hair fell behind him and he looked at Ozpin with neutral expression as well. He looked to be twenty or so with light blue eyes and a light horizontal scar on his left cheek. He saluted, "Atlas Specialist Aaeron Calis, sir."

Ozpin recognized the name and nodded, "I remember James talking about you. You were practically raised at Atlas Academy. You quickly rose through the ranks at a young age and became a leader of a team."

Aaeron gave him a cold glare, "Wouldn't exactly call them a team. They hated the fact that someone so young was quickly climbing the ranks and during a mission, they left me for dead and for Grimm to find my body. Luckily, I'm tenacious and I was able to hold on until I was able to be saved." He looked away. "Still can't remember by who, but I owe them." He turned back to Ozpin. "Once I was healed, I came back to the Academy and had them court marshaled for insubordination. And eventually became General Ironwood's left-hand man."

Ozpin nodded, "Good to hear. Someone with your talent deserves that recognition."

"Where are we at with tracking down Glynda's assailant?" Ironwood asked, stopping the conversation.

Ozpin looked at him for a bit. "We don't know where he is, James, but we do know who he is and who he's aligned with." Ironwood just held Ozpin's gaze, waiting for the information. Ozpin sighed again, "His name is Jaune Arc. Or Jaune Branwen now."

Winter's mask broke, "Jaune Arc? Wasn't he the leader of Weiss' sister team? I thought he died a year ago?"

Ozpin nodded, "We all thought so. But he has revealed that he was saved by Raven Branwen." Both Ironwood and Winter's eyes widened, while Aaeron just looked completely stunned. "Apparently, she trained him and he joined her tribe of bandits. And with some extra information from Qrow, we believe he is leading it alongside her and is married to her."

Ironwood eventually shook himself from his stupor, "I'd like all information on him that you have, Oz."

Ozpin started to type away on his desk until Jaune's file came up. Ironwood walked around to stand next to him. "This is Jaune's file while he was here. It's not much and he is completely different now. His fighting style, weapons and even his aura has changed drastically. We've been trying to gather as much information on him as possible but the task is daunting. He showed very little of his real abilities while he was here and when he does show more of his capabilities he holds back enough to not reveal everything. He's learned quite well from Raven."

He typed on his desk a bit more and brought up the file of Jaune fighting and a few images they took from the video. "He appears to use a flamberge now, along with a revolver. His Semblance was not shown during this fight but it appears that now he has the unique ability to siphon another person's aura. And with his last encounter with Glynda, he said he could also steal someone's Semblance. Whether he can or not is all up to speculation."

Ironwood growled slightly in annoyance, "Is this all of it?"

Ozpin gave him an unamused look, "Currently? Yes. The only other people who would have any idea would be the team that went out with Glynda but they are in the infirmary and will not be questioned at this time." The tone of his voice left no room to argue.

"Fine. Where was the last location he was sighted? I'll have my soldiers search the area for clues." Ironwood suggested.

Ozpin just shook his head, "Raven used her Semblance. They could be anywhere now."

"So, what do you suggest?! Us just sit around and let Glynda's murderer get away!" Ironwood demanded.

Ozpin slammed his cane onto the ground to get his attention. He fixed him with a cold stare. "No, I'm saying we have little information on this situation and running in unprepared will only bring about more death. This is a time for patience, not force."

The two headmasters stared at each other until Ironwood nodded, "Alright, Oz. I'll listen to you for the time being. But I promise you, when he reveals himself next, I'll see to it he is dealt with."

Ozpin just gave him a look, "Be careful, James. Last time you ran in without thinking, you lost more than you wagered." His eyes roamed over to his right arm. "We've lost enough and you wanting revenge will only make things far worse. Tread carefully." He warned. Ironwood nodded to him stiffly and made his way to the elevator. Winter and Aaeron followed, with the latter putting his helmet back on. As the elevator opened, Ozpin spoke up again as his gaze softened, "Her funeral is tomorrow. You should be there." They stepped into the elevator and Ironwood gave him a tired nod before they closed. As It lowered, Ozpin sighed yet again. He knew this was far from over.

* * *

Velvet was sitting on a bench near Beacon's gardens. She had her crutches leaning next to her on the bench. Coco had pretty much ordered her to get some fresh air and stop worrying about them. Which brought her here. She inhaled the aroma of the nearby flowers to try to relax herself, it didn't work. Her and her team were fine. They were injured but would be back on their feet in no time. Yatsu would be released in a couple of weeks, they wanted to keep him in the infirmary to make sure no complications happened. Coco and Fox would be released in a month or month and a half. Once their auras returned the healing process would accelerate. She was by far the best out of all of them. She would be good by the end of the week.

But, she wasn't worried about her team. She was worried and confused about Jaune. He seemed so much like the Jaune she knew and possibly loved, but he also showed sides of himself she never thought possible. Also, there just wasn't something right about the whole fight. It was like he wasn't completely there or didn't want to be? Plus, there was what happened after the fight. She shook her head and sighed tiredly as her rabbit ears sagged.

"Velvet!" she heard someone yell her name and her ears perked up. She turned to see Ruby running over to her with her team and NPR.

She waved at them weakly, "Hey guys." She said just as weakly.

They stopped in front of her, "Are you okay?!" Ruby asked. "You and your team have been in the infirmary for days!"

Velvet nodded, "We're fine. Just got hurt during our mission. With everything happening, we wanted some privacy."

"The same mission Goodwitch went on?" Pyrrha accused. She did not seem happy.

Velvet looked down and her ears sagged again. She nodded slightly, "Yes. My team went with Professor Goodwitch to try and bring Jaune back."

They were all quiet. They all assumed that was the case but hearing her say it just made it all just set in stone. "Why would he do that?" Nora asked, both stunned and angry. "Professor Ozpin said our teams would be sent out to get back Jaune."

Velvet just barely looked up to make eye contact, "The Professor said that if it came down to a fight, you all wouldn't be able to bring yourselves to fight him seriously. And considering what happened…" she trailed off. They all looked away sadly. The loss of Goodwitch was hard enough but to know that it was because of Jaune, made the whole thing almost soul shattering. "I'm sorry for not telling you guys. Professor Ozpin told us it was need to know."

"It's okay, Velvet." Ren told her calmly. "You were just doing what you thought was right."

They were quiet for a bit until Yang brought up a question. "So, how strong is he now?"

Velvet looked at her shocked by the question but answered, "Well, uh, he was able to fight my entire team by himself." That shocked them all. CFVY was the top fourth year team at Beacon and for Jaune to be able to take them all on was just scary. Velvet nodded, "Yeah, he was stronger than we expected. But… something was off during our fight."

"What do you mean?' Weiss asked confused.

Velvet was twiddling her fingers as she spoke. "He just didn't seem like he was all there." That just confused them all. "We were shown CRDL's fight with him and we could tell, he wasn't serious about showing all his skills but he really wanted to fight CRDL. With us, he was fighting seriously but he seemed distant. Like he really didn't want to be there. And as the fight kept going, I just felt like that feeling was increasing."

"Maybe he just didn't want to fight such a skilled team?" Blake hazarded a guess.

Velvet nodded slightly, "Maybe. But then, why didn't he just injure us more or do something worse? I mean, we all saw how ruthless he can be now. So, why did he just make it so we couldn't fight? Especially, with me. My injuries are very minor, all things considered and he had the option to go farther."

"What?" Pyrrha asked confused.

She took a deep breath, "He shot my legs and I couldn't stand anymore. Next thing I know, he had his sword to my throat. I looked into his eyes under his mask and he looked…. conflicted. Like he was going to kill me but couldn't, maybe?" She shook her head in confusion. "Eventually, he just sheathed his sword and siphoned off the rest of my aura. Then told me to call a bullhead for my team."

There was another brief silence before Ruby jumped up with a squeal of joy, "See I told you all. There's still part of the Jaune we know in him."

They all us looked at her before they all laughed weakly. "Yeah. Looks like you were right, sis." Yang was the first one to speak. "Now we just need to find him and try to talk to him. Or kick his ass and drag him back to keep him out of trouble." She smirked and gently punched her fists together.

Velvet just looked at them all shocked. "You guys actually want to bring Jaune back? Not just stop him?"

They all looked between each other before Ruby spoke up, "It's our fault that he is like this. It's our responsibility to right our mistakes and bring him back here. To his home. And to help make up for the mistakes he's made because of what happened." They all nodded with her.

Velvet looked at them and gently bit her bottom lip, "Then I might be able to help you." She took out her scroll. And started going through it. "Right before he left, Jaune sent me this message." She showed it to them.

?- Velvet, it's Jaune. This message will allow you to message or call me but only once. Do what you want with it.

They were all stunned, again, so Velvet spoke up, "I haven't told anyone about this. If you want, I can send him a message to meet somewhere and you can meet him there instead."

Next thing she knew, she was being hugged tightly by the resident reaper, "Velvet, you're awesome! Thank you!" Velvet got over the shock and giggled before returning the hug, but much more gently. They all failed to see the Atlas soldiers observing them.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jaune, Raven and Onyx were on the island of Vytal. They found it poetic that the island that brought peace, would also bring revolution, very soon. Atlas had set up an outpost there but it was taken over by the White Fang. Their informant gave them its location and altered its file in Atlas. It was classified as a failure and all resources that could, were salvaged. At least, that's what the files said. Once Jaune and Raven had rid it of the White Fang, they made it into their Headquarters. It was heavily fortified, with generators and state of the art technology. Plus, large deposit of Dust, from both Atlas and the White Fang. Crystals, powder, rounds, the works. It also had enough space for a battalion to live comfortably in. The outpost was the most secure place for them, more so than even the old base camp before the tribe was destroyed.

Which is why Jaune and Raven were still in bed, even though it was almost noon. The two had been up for a couple of hours now but just refused to leave their bed. For the first time in months, they were completely safe and could relax. The sleep they got the night before was proof of that but it could've also been from their 'activities' as well. Jaune was currently laying on his back while Raven was on his right, cuddled up to him as much as she physically could. He had his right arm around her and was gently running his hand up and down her back. Raven had her head laying on the right side of his chest while her right hand gently caressed the scars on his chest. Her right thigh was also laying across his lap. The only thing hiding their decency was the sheet over them, but that only covered from their waists down.

"So, are we gonna do anything besides lay here all day?" Jaune asked his wife.

She stopped rubbing his chest, "Hmmmm, I have a few things planned." She looked up to him with a familiar gleam in her eyes, that he knew too well. "But we won't be leaving this bed."

Jaune smirked down at her, "Yes, my Beloved." He captured her lips and took her right hand from his chest with his left. He then positioned himself over her with him intertwining his fingers with her's and placing their entwined hands besides her head. He deepened the kiss as he moved his right hand from her back to her side and slowly moved it down to her thigh to gently rub it. Raven moaned into the kiss as she brought her left arm around his neck to pull him closer. Things were about to escalate when Jaune sensed an aura nearby. He broke the kiss and sighed, "Yes, Onyx, what do you want?" he asked the closed door, annoyed.

There was a brief silence until they heard his voice from behind the door., "Sorry, Jaune. Didn't mean to, uh, interrupt anything. But you wanted me to let you know when the files were uploaded to the computer."

Jaune just groaned, "Thank you, Onyx. We'll be out in a few minutes." He didn't reply but they heard his footsteps recede down the hall. Jaune looked back down to his annoyed but hot and bothered wife. He gave her a half grin, "Looks like we'll have to reschedule." Before she could reply, he gave the top of her left breast a brief kiss before biting down on it. She gave a strange mix of a groan and moan which devolved into moaning as he began to suck on the same spot. He eventually pulled away, leaving a love bite in his wake. He smirked at her, "Something to remember me."

"You're gonna get it." She threatened as she pulled him down to give him another searing kiss.

The two made their way to the main living area of the outpost a few minutes later. They found Onyx sitting on one of the couches and was on his new black scroll. Like Raven and Jaune's, it was quite unique. They were a new model developed by Atlas, before they liberated them and erased the blueprints for them. Only about a dozen and a half of them existed and they were now in the hands of Kinghtingale. The scrolls were impossible to track and more so, could only receive messages and calls from numbers programed into them. They could also send a message or call a scroll and it would be able to call or message it back, but only once. Jaune's and Raven's had the numbers of their informants and a fair few important contacts, like Senior.

"Enjoying your new toy?" Jaune asked with a grin.

Onyx looked up to him with his own grin, "Hell yeah. This thing is quicker than my old one and we aren't even in a Kingdom. Atlas knows what they're doing."

Jaune chuckled, "Or they used to. Can't really make anymore." He sat down on the opposite couch and pulled out his own scroll as Raven went to get some coffee. Jaune connected his scroll wirelessly to the computer systems in the outpost and started to go through the files Onyx liberated. It was safer to leave them on the computer than his scroll, in case it broke. Nothing struck his interest as he went through the files on the most wanted and high-risk targets for Mistral. He was about to check the student rosters, when he received a message. He opened it to find that it was a reply to the message he sent Velvet a few days back. It was asking him to meet her in the Emerald Forest as soon as possible. Jaune raised an eyebrow, "Interesting."

"What is it?" Raven asked him as she took the seat next to him.

Jaune just handed her his scroll, "Velvet apparently wants to meet in the Emerald Forest."

Raven read through the message, "She's the one you said could be helpful, right?" She turned to him as he nodded. "This is a trap." She said simply.

Jaune nodded, "Oh, definitely. Velvet isn't in any shape to go out there. But the better question is, who is waiting for me out there?" He smirked, "Kinda wanna find out."

Raven just sighed at his antics. "You are impossible." She replied but didn't bother to argue with him.

Jaune stood up and stretched. "Onyx, I'd like it if you backed me up."

Onyx nodded and pocketed his scroll, "Absolutely. Just let me get my gear." He walked out of the main living area to head to a small locker room down the hall.

Jaune looked down at his wife, she was giving him a look. "I'll be fine." He told her reassuringly.

She nodded, "I know." She stood up and hugged him, "Still not used to _this_."

He gently returned the hug. "Neither one of us have fallen in love like this before, of course you're worried. But you trained me, me losing is never an option."

She pulled away and gave him a smile, "Damn right." She then kissed him and transferred some of her aura into him. Enough for him to create two portals. They pulled apart. "I love you."

Jaune smirked, "You're very loving today." He teased. "I love you too." He broke away from her arms. He left to go to the locker room as well. He grabbed his sword and revolvers and then walked over to Onyx. He was leaning against a wall with his daggers on his belt and his quiver on his back. "Ready?"

Onyx stepped away and put his mask on, "You know it."

Jaune smirked before he put his own mask on. "Good." Was all he said before he opened a black portal. The two walked through to find what awaited them in the Emerald Forest.

* * *

 **A/N- Shorter chapter than normal but it was mostly for set up. Next chapter should be interesting. Thanks again to Jauneforever for being my Betareader! Also, I closed the poll on my page. The winner is DVYL May Cry! That one is gonna be fun to write, hehe. I plan on writing the others as well. I'll put up the poll again once I'm done with it. I should hopefully have the first chapter up next week. Hope you all enjoyed and I'll see ya in the next update!  
**


	9. Revolution

Distortion

Jaune and Onyx stepped out into the Emerald Forest and Jaune couldn't help the wave of nostalgia that overcame him. Over a year ago, he came into this very forest to prove himself and has done so, countless times. He chuckled slightly before he closed his eyes and started to focus on any aura signatures nearby. Almost outside the limit of his senses, he felt seven familiar auras about a quarter of a mile away and he sighed, "Why am I not surprised?" he asked himself out loud.

Onyx looked over at him, "Someone you know?" he asked.

Jaune nodded, "Yeah. My former team and team RWBY."

Jaune noticed that Onyx flinched slightly with that. "So, what's the plan?"

Jaune thought for a second, "Let's see what they want. What harm could it do?" He saw that Onyx was still a bit fidgety. "This shouldn't turn violent. With Goodwitch's death still fresh in their minds, they won't be itching to fight. Plus, if it does, I won't make you fight those two."

Onyx nodded and gave a weak, "Thank you."

Jaune pulled out a black earpiece from his pocket and stuck it in his right ear, under his hood. Onyx did the same and Jaune motioned to the tree tops with his head, "Get up in the trees and keep an eye out for anything. Don't engage, unless I say so." Onyx nodded and looked at the nearest tree. He channeled aura into his legs and ran at it, he jumped and kicked off it to reach higher on the tree adjacent to it. He did that a second time to land in the branches of the original tree. He crouched down as his body was surrounded in his blue aura and he soon started to blend in with his surroundings. Jaune turned to where his former friends were and started to walk over to their location.

* * *

RWBY and NPR were waiting in the clearing that Jaune's weapons were found in and where he fought last year. It was ominous for them to be back here, but it seemed appropriate for the situation. Ren and Nora were sitting on a boulder near the center of the clearing, waiting for their former leader to show up. Pyrrha was close by it, pacing and unsure of what exactly would happen next. Blake, Weiss and Yang were standing by a tree near the edge of the clearing while Ruby was a few feet from them just looking around expectantly. They had been there a total of thirty minutes now and they told Velvet when they got there so she could message Jaune immediately. Some of them were losing the patience they had, Yang, Pyrrha and Ruby, while the others were getting worried about what was going on. Finally, Yang sighed, "Guys, why don't we call it? I don't think he's coming."

Ruby turned to her sister, "Let's wait a bit longer. We don't know where he is, it could take a while."

Weiss spoke up, "Yang has a point, Ruby. He may not show up. Besides, we saw him open that portal before. He could just use that to get here."

"We don't know enough about his abilities to make any kind of guess though." Ren added in.

"He does have a point." Blake agreed.

"He'll show up." They all turned to Pyrrha as she stopped her pacing. "I know he will."

"Yeah. Jaune will be here any minute now!" Nora said with her usual unrestrained excitement.

"Or he's been here the entire time." Said a familiar voice. They all jumped and turned to the opposite side of the clearing. From the shadows walked out Jaune in his black and red attire from the last time they saw him. The only difference was the mask he wore. They all had to admit it put them on edge. Like looking at an ancient Grimm in human form. They had to stop themselves from shivering. Jaune stopped ten feet from Pyrrha, who was the closest to him. He reached up and removed his mask before attaching it to his belt and pulling down his hood to free his blonde tipped black hair. "And to answer the question you're all thinking, I've been here for about twenty-five minutes. I was just observing and making sure there were no surprises."

"You thought we were going to ambush you?" Ruby asked stunned.

Jaune shrugged apathetically. "Possibly. Killing someone as high ranking as Goodwitch paints a target on your back. But that's part of the fun." He gave a small smirk before his mask emotional mask was back on. They were stunned by how nonchalant he was about killing someone, especially someone he knew. "So, what do you want?" he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

They all looked at each other before Pyrrha stepped forward, only a step or two. "We want to help you, Jaune. Please, come back with us. We can help you, help bring you back to who you were and help you make up for what you did."

Jaune's aura flared around him and they all grew very nervous. He glared at her, "I told you before, that fool Jaune Arc died a year ago. He is never coming back." He said with barely restrained anger. His aura calmed, and he sighed tiredly, "I'm tired of everyone thinking I need help or need to be saved. Newsflash, I'm not in any trouble. I'm exactly where I want to be. So, do yourselves a favor and stop trying help someone who doesn't need or want it." Jaune turned around and was about to walk away when he spoke again, "Take that shot and you'll see what happens when I get pissed."

They all turned to see Ruby had Crescent Rose in its rifle mode and had an ice dust clip loaded. She lowered her weapon, slightly. "How'd you know?"

He looked over his shoulder, "Your aura. Aura reveals how you're feeling and I can sense it easily. Far better than Ren can." He turned back around. "And let me clarify this, you may all have a rule of one with me but that would just stop me from killing you. You all know I can do far worse than kill you." He gave them a cold grin, that promised them pain. "So, what are you going to do, Ruby?"

Ruby was shaking slightly as she stared at Jaune. That was until a hand slowly lowered her weapon. She looked to see Yang standing beside her and staring at Jaune, "You won't touch her."

Jaune looked at her, "Really? Who's gonna stop me? You?" Jaune chuckled slightly, "You couldn't touch me before and I was holding back, way back." He smirked more and tilted his head slightly, "Plus, is that anyway to speak to your stepfather?"

Yang's eyes turned red, "So, what Qrow said was true. You married my mother."

Jaune just nodded, "And all the fun that comes with it." Yang's hair started to shine a bit as she growled in anger. But she didn't charge forward, she held herself back. Jaune nodded his head and dropped his joking façade. "You're learning. Good. Keep your emotions in check and you'll eventually be strong enough."

"Strong enough for what?" she asked, desperately trying to control herself.

"To meet Raven." He said simply.

Yang's eyes widened, and her anger dissipated. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to form words. The others were just staring at the two, unsure of what to say. Eventually, Yang found her voice, "W-what?" she asked weakly.

Jaune's gaze softened, but just slightly, "You heard me. Raven will meet with you but only when you are strong enough. She lives a dangerous life, the same I chose to live. She will not drag you into it, unless you can handle it." Jaune chuckled lightly, "Raven has a weird way to show affection but it's there." Yang was just stunned by this. To meet her mother, she just had to be strong? But, what exactly did she view as strength? "Well, if that's it, I'll be on my way." Jaune went to leave again.

"Jaune, wait!" Pyrrha cried out to him. He stopped. "Don't leave. Please." She said weakly.

"Why should I stay?" He asked as he kept walking. "There is nothing here for me. I've outgrown Beacon, there is nothing there that matters to me anymore."

"If that's true, why didn't you kill CFVY!?" Ruby shouted, as tears formed in her eyes. "If there was nothing left of the Jaune Arc we knew in you, you would've killed them!"

Jaune stopped and sighed. He looked up to the sky. "There are many reasons why I didn't kill them. They have potential, they have my respect. But the real reason is because I was repaying my debt to Velvet."

"Debt? What debt?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune turned to face them all, "I owe her everything." He said with full conviction, stunning them all. "After you all turned your backs on me, she was the only one that was there for me. She was there for me, supported me and tried with all her power to help me. In the abyss you cast me into, she was the only light I had." He chuckled slightly, "Makes you think, what would've happened if I dated her?" He turned to Pyrrha with a cold gaze. "Instead of you, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha's eyes widened and everyone turned to her in shock. Did they just hear that right? "Wait, you two actually got together?" Nora asked stunned.

Jaune looked to Nora, "Not surprised that none of you knew." He turned back to Pyrrha, "When I was at my lowest, she came to help me. I opened myself up to her in a way I never thought I could. She promised to be there for me, to love me. But that was a _lie_." Pyrrha took a step back with his words. "She abandoned me not long after. After barely being pulled to the surface of the dark ocean of negativity I was drowning in, I was thrown back in with an anchor around my neck." He glared at her, "And you never said a word because you wanted to forget that you ever dated Jaune Arc, the embarrassment of the Arcs and Team JNPR."

Pyrrha was in tears at this point, "Jaune, that's not it. I loved you, I still do! I loved you from the first time we met! The only good thing that came out of that whole debacle was that we were able to be together! I never meant to abandon you! I was just trying to convince the rest of them to forgive you! So, things could go back to the way they were! Better than before!"

Jaune just looked at her with a neutral look. "I don't care." He said those words and Pyrrha felt her heart break, again. "Or more accurately, I don't care because I don't believe you. Any of you." He turned to look at all seven of them. "I have no reason to believe anything you say. You made our relationships clear over a year ago. Now, you'll just say anything to try to fix the mistakes you made." He stopped and thought about something. "Honestly, Pyrrha could've prevented all of this if she did one thing."

Pyrrha was stunned as tears were still falling from her eyes, "W-what would t-that be?"

Jaune just looked into her eyes, "If you never came to check on me that night. The night we got together." Pyrrha was confused. "I guess I'll need to explain. That night, you found me at rock bottom. I was out of aura and heavily injured. And I was just staring across the horizon on the rooftop you brought me to train. Do you remember what I said, the first time you brought me up there?" he asked her.

She thought back confused, until she remembered what he said. Her eyes widened, and her hands went to her mouth as she gasped. They all looked at her confused, besides Jaune who had a knowing smile. "My words were, 'I'm not _that_ depressed.'"

Pyrrha weakly spoke up, "You were going to…"

"Kill myself." They all looked at him in complete shock. "Yup, went to the training rooms and fought until my aura was shattered. Then I went up there to end it all. Just one jump, and this _mistake_ would be gone." He said matter of fact. "Too bad. You missed that opportunity."

Ruby quickly ran up to stand beside Pyrrha, "We never wanted that! Jaune, we were hurt and mad and acted stupid, but we never wanted you to kill yourself." She said that as tears ran down her face as well.

"Again, I don't believe that." He said and that broke their hearts further. "Mostly because I hated myself more than any of you could and that was what lead me to going up there. And thanks to Pyrrha, my life was saved, and I was given the keys to the real me. My self-hate, along with the slew of emotions I was feeling allowed me to harness that dark ocean, the abyss, the Hell I was living in and gave me more power than I ever imagined. _That_ was the only good thing that came out of that debacle, Pyrrha. Because of you seven, I was lead down the path to unlocking Negative Aura." He said with a grin.

Before they could question him, Jaune heard Onyx speak through his earpiece, "Jaune, you have a group incoming."

Jaune brought his hand to his ear and turned away slightly, "How many?"

"About two dozen. But there could be more. I can't see them through all the foliage. Can you sense any aura?" he asked.

"Give me a sec." Jaune closed his eyes and tried to sense any aura besides the eight close to him. He felt nothing. He opened his eyes, "None. They are either Grimm or Knights. Where are you?"

"Not far. It'll take me a minute of two to reach you. They should be on you any time now." Jaune heard wind in the background as he was speaking, he knew Onyx was on his way now.

"When you get here, fire-at-will." Jaune grabbed Tourmentage Tordu and drew it, putting the others on edge. He looked around quickly before he saw movement to his left. He shot his left hand out and an Atlas Knight was pulled from the bushes before it was impaled on his sword. "Been a while since I tore these things up." Jaune said with a smirk as he threw it off his blade.

As he did, a dozen Knights stepped out from the bushes in a firing line, all aimed directly at him. An Atlas soldier stepped out behind them. He looked exactly like every other soldier he saw from Atlas, even his armor was the same bland color. "Jaune Branwen, stand down! You are under arrest by the Atlas military!" he shouted.

Jaune just looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Finally, someone got my name right. But, I'm going to say no." Before they could react, Jaune drew Souffrance Eternelle from his left holster and fired. The bullet was enhanced with his aura, so it tore cleanly through the soldier's helmet. The soldier dropped dead and Jaune fired the last five shots into the Knights, taking down four of them before he charged at the remaining androids. The remaining eight Knights open fired on him. Jaune deflected the bullets with his blade before he jumped forward with his aura and shoved his blade into the front most Knight. The three Knights closest to him were about to fire, so he jumped directly up, and their bullets just hit each other. Jaune came down on the last two standing Knights his blade in the back of one, while he used Telekinesis to rip the head off the second.

He got off of them as a second dozen appeared from the other side of the clearing. They fired immediately and Jaune charged forward, deflecting the bullets with his sword as he focused. He was focusing on switching his Semblance from Telekinesis to Distortion. He may be able to harness more than one Semblance, but he could not use them simultaneously. And switching between the two took time, ten seconds, but that was too long for his tastes.

Jaune switched his sword to his left hand as he drew Sommeil Eternel and fired twice before holstering it again. The two bullets put down two of the Knights, but one fell into the one next to it. Causing it to fire at the seven students, or more specifically, Ruby, who ran out in front of them all to help Jaune. Ruby couldn't react in time to defend herself from the salvo of bullets. Jaune used his aura to intercept the bullets. He stood a couple of feet in front of the reaper and quickly called on his Semblance, deflecting the bullets. This lasted a few seconds before two orange tipped black arrows flew from behind the two. They exploded on impact, decimating the androids. They all turned to see a blue blur in the tree branches becoming another person dressed in black, with a black bow and a Beowolf mask. They knew he was with Jaune because of it. Ruby turned from the new arrival to Jaune. She stared at his broad back. "Jaune?" she questioned.

"That was your one, Ruby." He told her. Before she could say anything, his black aura came to the surface and she saw and felt her red aura being absorbed by him. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was _very_ unnerving. "I only siphoned enough aura to replenish what I used to save you. Now, get out of here before more show up." He walked over to the smoking remains as Ruby's head lowered.

Jaune observed the broken metal before he saw one trying to crawl away. "Missed one!" Jaune shouted to Onyx, right before a regular black arrow penetrated its head. Jaune smirked, "Nevermind." He turned around and saw that Onyx was out of the tree and slowly making his way over to him. He looked over to the Beacon students but Jaune knew his eyes were lingering on his old friends. "Ready to get out of here?" Jaune asked him. He nodded.

Jaune was about to use Raven's Semblance when they both heard something and turned. A bullet flew, and both went to dodge it. Onyx wasn't fast enough, and the bullet hit his mask, sending it flying from his face. He stumbled backwards into a crouch. "Onyx!" Jaune shouted before he stepped in front of him, using Distortion to save him from the salvo of bullets. Ruby and Yang's eyes widened with that. Onyx spun from his position to face the new battalion of Knights. He quickly drew two arrows and fired them at extreme speeds. The first, a white tipped, Steam arrow, hit the ground in the middle of the Knights, releasing a mist that cloaked them. The second struck a second later. The dark blue, Ice arrow, hit the Knight in the middle of the firing squad and froze the entire mist, leaving a decent layer of ice on the androids, immobilizing them. Jaune drew Sommeil Eternel and channeled his Semblance into the bullet. He fired, the Distortion amplified bullet destroyed the Knights in an explosion of ice and scrap metal. The students just stared at the flawless teamwork between those two.

Jaune holstered his revolver before he turned and walked away from the crouching Onyx. He walked over and picked up the Beowolf mask. He then walked back over to Onyx who managed to get back to his feet. He looked at Jaune as he roughly pushed the mask into his chest. Jaune spoke with a serious tone to his voice, "This mask only comes off when you take it off or you die. Am I understood?"

Onyx looked down and placed his right hand on the mask, "Yes. Sorry, Jaune."

He stared him down for another minute or so before he nodded. Jaune saw movement in the remains of the first group of Knights he destroyed. He walked over and saw that one of the knights that was damaged from friendly fire was trying to drag itself away. Jaune placed his foot on its back and grabbed the back of the head with his left hand. He pulled and the head came off. He turned it so he was looking into the visor. He saw that the light behind it was still glowing. He smirked, "Hello? You still watching?" he asked as he knocked his knuckles of his right hand against it. "I know these things have cameras inside them, so can you still see me?"

After a few seconds, a speaker turned on. "Yes, I can see you, Branwen." Said a familiar voice.

"Oh, General Ironwood. So, good to hear from you. You're still not mad at me for raiding your facilities a few months back, are you?" He asked cheekily.

"I'm more furious with what you did to Glynda!" he shouted through the disembodied head.

Jaune shrugged, "Blame Ozpin and herself for that. I warned them to not stand in my way, they didn't listen. And now, I give the same warning to you, General. Stay out of our way or you'll be more machine than man. Well more than you are now."

"You're arrogant to think you can stand up to the might of the Atlas military." He said confidently.

"Please, your little toys are nothing to us. Two of us took out three dozen of your machines and we weren't even serious." He grew serious once again. "The revolution is coming, General. So, either stay out of our way…" he tossed the head into the air before he continued. "Or you can die." He then slashed horizontally with his sword and cut the head in half.

He walked back over to Onyx, ignoring the stares from his former friends. "Let's get out of here." Jaune was about to open the portal when someone spoke up.

"Wait!" Jaune turned to see Yang and Ruby standing ten feet away. "Onyx? Is that really you?" Yang asked.

Onyx sighed and finally looked over to them, "Yeah. It's me, Yang. Hey, Ruby."

Both just stared at him wide eyed. The three of them were great friends back at Signal. But when they went to Beacon, he went to Haven. They hadn't heard from him in a long time. Yang felt her heart drop, she wouldn't admit it, but she had a small crush on Onyx when they first started at Signal. She buried those feelings when they became such good friends. That made this so much more painful. "What are you doing with him?" Yang asked, slightly angry.

"Mind that temper." Warned Jaune. "Especially, since I just saved your sister. And don't even blame me for that. You called me here, remember?"

Yang tried to calm down, more so when Ruby took her hand. "Onyx, what happened to you?" Ruby asked.

Onyx looked at Jaune. He just shrugged for a reply. Onyx turned back to them. "Life happened. This world is filled with darkness and hatred. Only way to survive is to embrace it. So, I did."

"I can't believe this! You joined Jaune! Do you know what he's done!?" Yang yelled.

"I know exactly what he's done!" He yelled back, which shocked them. Onyx was usually calm and very rarely ever got angry. "I also know, I'm alive because of him. Like him, my team betrayed me. But they were going to end my career, if not my life. Jaune saved me and he offered me a spot in his group. And I accepted because ever since that day, he's had my back. He's been my best friend. My brother."

They were stunned by this. "But I thought you wanted to become a Huntsman? Both of you." Ruby asked weakly.

"When we're done, this world won't need Huntsmen and Huntresses." Jaune answered as he put his mask back on. He turned and opened a black portal with his sword.

Onyx didn't take his eyes off the sisters. "Sorry, girls. But when I accepted this mask, there was no turning back." He placed his mask back on his face and continued to speak, "I'm part of Knightingale now and we will bring revolution to this world." He turned around and both men walked through the black portal. It closed behind them, leaving those seven alone in the destruction they caused. The sisters had to hold back tears, more so Yang than Ruby, the little reaper didn't care if they saw her cry. They both now lost someone they cared deeply for, what else could go wrong?

* * *

 **A/N- Not much to say with this one. Shoutout to Jauneforever for being my Beta Reader! See ya all later!  
**


	10. The Bear and the Scorpion

Distortion

It had been about a month since Jaune and Onyx had met up with RWBY and NPR. And they've been busy ever since then. Jaune created a list of people that could be useful to them after going through all of Haven's files, excluding the student rosters. Haven was still on high alert, so any students were off limits for the time being. Jaune and Onyx had been trying to track them down with little success. Anyone they did track down were underwhelming than they initially thought and were ignored completely. However, anyone that they did find useful were either killed recently or even imprisoned for their crimes. They may be skilled, but they were not about to attack a Kingdom directly to get to them.

Raven on the other hand had been searching across Remnant for an artifact of the Branwen tribe. It was lost long before Raven took control of the tribe, but she was desperately trying to reclaim it. It was the key for their plan to come to fruition and bring revolution to the world. She was using almost all their assets to track it down but each lead she obtained just led to a dead-end. Which left a very annoyed Raven for Jaune to deal with and try to calm down.

Ironwood was not helping their cause in the slightest. He had begun a man hunt for Jaune and Raven after Goodwitch's funeral. The other Headmasters regrettably agreed to send him any information they got on his two targets, mostly because they knew the cyborg wouldn't listen to reason at the time, which was starting to annoy the members of Knightingale. He was using any and all resources he had to find them and reach their destination as quickly as possible. Luckily, their informant in Atlas was delaying the information from reaching him enough so that Ironwood would just miss them. Their informants in Vale and Menagerie were still keeping their eyes and ears out for anything but were growing frustrated. Meanwhile, their Vacuo informant was still bidding his time to get an opportunity to upload the virus to Shade's systems. In summary, the month was long and had very little success.

* * *

Jaune and Onyx were taking a break from tracking down 'potential' recruits and were training in one of the many training rooms in the base. Onyx was shooting moving targets set to one of the highest difficulties, which were supposed to be used for gunfire, not arrows. The targets were actually drones the size of basketballs and were programmed to fly in set, but randomized, patterns. He had been going at this for a few hours now with very few breaks and was improving further. He completely lost count of how many arrows he fired but that didn't matter much. The facility was set up with equipment to forge armor of Atlas soldiers and with a few tweaks they were now making him arrows. So, he wouldn't run out for a long time.

Meanwhile, Jaune was fighting a small battalion of training drones. They were designed to analyze the fighter and adapt to their fighting style. To say he was getting a work out would be an understatement. Especially, because he fitted them with real weapons and bullets. He was not holding back with those improvements. He was using his sword, guns and martial arts to their full capacity. He even resorted to using Désespoir a few times throughout his training. He had been going at this as long as Onyx and was nearing the end of the battalion, only half a dozen were left but they were really pushing him. He finally sighed, "I've had enough for today." He said through labored breaths as he used Telekinesis to drive the six remaining androids into the ground.

He walked over to a bench and took a towel to dry off all the sweat he had accumulated. He also grabbed the last of many water bottles he had prepared beforehand. He chugged it like it was the key to immortality. He sighed afterwards and threw it and the rest of his empties out as he watched Onyx. "May wanna call it for today, Onyx. You don't wanna overexert yourself."

Onyx nocked another arrow and fired at a target. "Almost done with this run." Jaune just shrugged and decided to watch him finish. He was still amazed by the skill he had with that bow. His firing speed and accuracy were almost supernatural at this point. Marksman didn't do him justice. He spun and fired another arrow as he spoke up, "Mind if I ask you something about Raven?"

Jaune raised an eyebrow, stunned by the sudden request. "As long as it isn't too personal, sure."

He fired two arrows simultaneously and nailed two more drones. "You said her Semblance allows her to open portal to travel to people she has a bond with." He fired again. "So, how have we been using them to travel to isolated area with no one around for miles?"

"That it? Was expecting something else." He chuckled. "Honestly, it's because of my Negative aura. Like you and a few others, I transferred my aura into her to increase her reserves and strengthen her aura. But, after a certain incident, I had to transfer a whole lot more into her. That influx of Negative aura caused he Semblance to evolve. Now she can open portals to any area she has been before, although they aren't as accurate as the ones she uses to get to people." Jaune finished his explanation as Onyx split Clade Tenebris into its dagger form and returned them to his belt.

He started to walk over to Jaune and he tossed him a towel and water bottle. He caught both, "So, that's it. Could you do that for the rest of us?"

"No." he said with every once of finality he could. "The amount of Negative aura I had to transfer into Raven had a very high chance of killing her. The only reason she didn't is because of her strong will. People who use Positive aura can only handle about a third of their aura being replaced with Negative, I had to use over half on Raven."

Onyx nodded, "Good to know." He hung his towel around his neck. "Now what?"

"We shower. I can smell you from here." He joked.

Onyx just rolled his eyes, "Like you smell like a bouquet of roses."

The two laughed and made their way to the showers. Afterwards they dressed in the usual attire, except Jaune had left out his armor and trench coat. They went to main living area and Onyx went to the kitchens, it was his turn to cook. Jaune plopped down on one of the couches and pulled out his scroll. He started to go through the Haven files for the who knows what time. He started to go through the student rosters. He was going through all the teams to see if any had potential. The ones that did, however, wouldn't likely align with them. One team stood out though, a team he knew very well, Team SSSN. They were all skilled in their own way and their leader, Sun, was a powerhouse to say the least. And since Jaune knew them, that could help him persuade them to his side. Hopefully. If not, well, things would not go well. For them.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't realize someone was behind him until they wrapped their arms around his chest. He tensed for a second until he felt a pair of lips on his cheek, "Nice to see you keeping busy." Raven said teasingly.

"Yeah, yeah." He said before he turned his head to face her and kissed her lovingly. They broke apart and he just looked at her. "Didn't go well, did it?"

She sighed, and he moved over enough for her to sit next to him. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and draped her legs over his lap as he held her in his arms. "More dead-ends." She said in a mix of annoyance, frustration and exhaustion.

Jaune just held her close and kissed the top of her head. "We'll find it eventually, Love. For now, why don't you just relax for a bit." He was expecting here to argue with him but there was just silence. He looked own to see that she had fallen asleep. He smirked at her and held her a bit closer, "Sleep tight, Rave." He just held her as she slept, and his mind went back to the files before he thought about their informant in Vacuo. "I hope Gil's doing alright." His mind started to remember his past and one of the first times he trained with his only teacher besides Raven and his second father.

* * *

 _Jaune was standing in a clearing, across from a behemoth of a man. Jaune was breathing raggedly by this point. After he had joined the tribe, Raven announced it to the rest of them and the members accepted him with open arms. Well, most of them. The more seasoned members were still wary of him. He kept training as usual. He was refining his fighting style and his marksmanship with pistols. While Raven was still training him in aura control and he was starting to control when his Negative aura would absorb Positive aura around him._

 _A few days back, Jaune was busy sparing with three weaker members when one of the tribe's seasoned fighters offered to spar with him. Jaune agreed and was efficiently beat into the ground. He scoffed and said he needed more work. From that day, Jaune has challenged him to fight. This was one of those spars, he was doing better than before but not much. "That all you got, runt?" he growled._

 _Jaune came out of his musings and stared back at his opponent. His name was Gil Bolfal. He stood at six feet four and was heavily built. He was in his fifties and had short but wild brown hair, that was now lightening and greying slightly, and he had a marvelous big beard the same color as his hair. He had a pair of bear ears on top of his head, proudly showing his Faunus heritage. All that mixed with his pale complexion and green eyes that just stared through you, made him very imposing. He wore heavy black armor with red highlights and his weapon was in his right hand. A large greataxe, as tall as Gil himself, and as heavy as a Death Stalker. Okay, maybe not that heavy but still felt like being hit by one. It had no transforming properties and was completely grey, Dunkle Axe. This man was a monster. His strength and endurance were extremely high, but he shouldn't be surprised. His man was one of the top fighters here and held a mask like Raven's._

 _Jaune shook his head, "Not even close." He used his aura to rocket towards the behemoth of a man. He simply raised his axe and brought it down. The force it hit the ground at caused a large force of wind to push Jaune back. Jaune had seen him do this before, so he rolled to the side to avoid it. When he was back on his feet, he immediately had to duck to avoid the axe aimed at his throat. Jaune pushed off the ground with his aura to try to knee Gil in the nose. Gil just pulled his fist back, his arm had a very faint red glow to it, and punched Jaune. He used his sword to guard himself but was sent back a good fifteen feet._

 _Jaune skidded to a stop and rotated his shoulder to make sure it wasn't dislocated from the impact. "Again, with the Semblance?" Jaune asked._

 _Gil shrugged, "If you don't like it, do something about it." He challenged._

 _Jaune grit his teeth, "Fine." He charged forward again. Like every time prior, Gil swung his axe to create the air pressure to stop him. Jaune channeled Distortion into his blade and mirrored his swing. That created his own air pressure that met Gil's and the two forces created a small vortex. Gil was shocked and barely saw Jaune use his aura again get around him. Jaune slashed at his back and sent him off balance. Gil corrected himself and swung directly at Jaune, who managed to divert most of the impact but still had him skidding backwards._

 _The two stood across from each other and Gil popped his neck, "So, you finally managed to get a hit in. Good, now let's see how you deal with a real swing." He grinned, and his blood red aura came to the surface._

 _Jaune swallowed, "You've gotta be kidding me." He quickly dropped into his own stance and channeled his Semblance into his own blade._

 _The two stared down the other before they both took off at one another. When they were on top of each other, Gil raised Dunkle Axe above his head and brought it down with a two-handed swing, that same faint red glow around his arms. Jaune swung upwards with his own two-handed swing as his blade was covered in the black flame-like effect. The two weapons hit each other and the two had a power struggle for all of a second before a red and black explosion sent the two flying backwards. Gil created a trench as his body crashed through the ground before he hit a tree and nearly broke it in half. Jaune hit the ground and started tumbling and skidding across the ground before he stopped in a heap._

 _The two just laid where they were until they slowly got back to their feet. Gil started to chuckle until the clearing they were in was filled with his booming laughter. "Now that was interesting. You at least have potential, runt."_

 _Jaune's breathing was labored but he answered, "Thanks…that means…a lot…I guess?"_

 _Gil started to walk over to him, "I was interested to see what Raven saw in you. She rarely ever trains anyone personally."_

 _Jaune tilted his head, "She's only training me…in aura control."_

 _Gil shook his head, "Because you need to know the ins and outs of your aura before she'll train you seriously."_

" _And the hell I've been going through for the last three and a half months wasn't serious?" he asked stunned._

" _Oh, it is but she has some special training for those she has interest in." Gil smirked evilly at him._

" _Great." Jaune groaned as his head fell, "Fuck me."_

" _Maybe that's her endgame?" Gil teased._

 _Jaune's head shot up. His eyes were wide, and his face was crimson. That had Gil belly laughing. Jaune managed to calm down and sent a mild glare at the Faunus, "Ha-ha, very funny. I have zero chance with her."_

 _Gil was wiping a tear, "I wouldn't say that, runt. You spend more time with her than anyone else in the tribe. Even her inner circle." Jaune just shook his head and sighed. "So, why'd you start training under her?"_

 _He looked at her, "To get stronger." That earned him a smack on the back of his head._

" _Don't be a smartass." He said with a growl. "I know you want to be strong, but I want to know the reason why." Jaune just looked away from the behemoth. "How about a trade then?" Jaune looked back to him, "I'll tell you why I joined the tribe and you tell me why you did?"_

 _Jaune just looked ta him for a bit before he shrugged, "Sure, why not?"_

 _Gil nodded and took a deep breath to help organize his thoughts. "I was molded by the harshness of Vacuo and learned to be willing to kill at even a young age. As a child, I was abandoned by my parents. I would've died in Vacuo's deserts if not for a bandit tribe. They saved me, trained me. But as time went on, I saw how unfit those bandits were to walk the deserts. When I was sixteen, they attacked a defenseless family. So, I slaughtered them all." He took a second to gather his thoughts again. "After that, I made my way to Shade Academy and I got myself a team. We got to the point where I would lay my life down for them. They were strong, but they eventually fell to another band of bandits. And in a battle rage, I slaughtered my second group of bandits." He leant against a tree to look at Jaune. "I walked the desert for days until members of this tribe found me. They saw what I could do and offered me a place here." He pointed his axe at Jaune, "My life in Vacuo taught me the only thing that mattered: Power is everything. If you want to survive, you need powerful friends and allies. So, in the end, I found a group I will die for if I have to." He then lowered his axe._

 _Jaune just stared at him for a bit, just taking in what he said. He looked away, "I always wanted to be a Huntsmen, a hero. I even managed to cheat my way into Beacon to accomplish that dream. I got a team and friends I thought I could count on. But, when they found out my secret, they turned their backs on me." His Negative aura surrounded him, "That pain awakened this new power in me and I will use it to prove them wrong. To prove all those that condemned me, pitied me, that I'm above all of that now."_

 _Gil placed his hand on his shoulder, "I can't say what you were before coming here. But I know of one thing, you are powerful, Jaune." Jaune turned to him and Gil just looked into his eyes, "You are a part of this tribe now. So, I promise you, as long as you fight for this tribe, I will fight beside you."_

 _Jaune just stared at me, "Are you okay? You've been pretty cold to me since I met you and now you sound like a father or uncle."_

 _He chuckled, "I'm like that to everyone. That is until I get to know you and like you. Then I'm just a big old teddy bear." He smirked and twitched his ears. Jaune couldn't help but laugh at that. Gil chuckled as well. "Come on, runt. Let's get back." He started to make his way back to the camp._

" _Gil." Jaune said with determination. He turned to him and Jaune just stared him down. "I swear, I'll fight for this tribe with everything I have. They are my family now."_

 _Gil smiled at him, "That's what I like to hear. Keep that up and you may get one our masks too." Both chuckled with that and went back to their home._

* * *

Jaune was pulled from his trek down memory lane when he felt something cup his cheek. He looked down to see Raven awake and looking at him with concern, "You okay?"

He sighed and nodded, "I'm just worried about Gil. I know no one is more suited to infiltrate Vacuo but I'm still worried."

Raven gently stroked his cheek, "I know. But we both know, that old bear won't die so easily."

That had Jaune chuckling. "Yeah. You're right. He's too stubborn to die." He looked into his wife's eyes with a appreciative look. "Thank you." He leant down and kissed her. She immediately returned it. It didn't take long for the kiss to heat up and they began to make-out passionately. He laid Raven down on the couch and positioned himself over her as he began to kiss her neck. She was letting out quiet moans as her hand started running through his hair. His hands landed on the exposed skin on her thigh and the exposed skin of her breast that her clothing allowed as he caressed them lovingly.

"Alright, foods ready. Holy crap!" Both stopped and looked to see Onyx walk into the room with a pot in his hands.

Jaune sighed, "Damn it, Onyx." He said annoyed as he got off his wife and she sat up.

"Well, how was I supposed to know Raven was back and you couldn't keep it in your pants." Onyx defended as he put the pot on the nearby table.

Jaune just gave him a glare, "My pants are still on, dick."

"First time for everything." Onyx shot back as he was taking off his oven mitts. The two glared at each other before they decided to knock it off. The three then started to enjoy the pot of ramen that Onyx made from scratch. After they all had their fill, there was still half a pot left. "Looks like I overcooked again." Onyx stated.

Jaune shrugged, "It'll still be good later." Just then his scroll went off. He picked it up and saw it was an SOS signal. He stood up so fast that he flipped his chair over.

"Jaune?" Raven asked before he took off out of the room to the locker room. He threw open his locker and started to throw on his armor and trench coat as quickly as he could. That's when Raven and Onyx ran in as well, "Jaune, what's wrong?" Raven asked.

Jaune was putting on his belt with his guns as he was speaking, "Gil just sent me an SOS."

That got their attention. "What are his coordinates?" Raven asked seriously. Jaune tossed her his scroll as he was attaching his sword and sheathe to his back. Onyx realized it was serious and started to collect his weapons and quiver. The three soon walked out of the locker room armed and ready. Raven handed him his scroll. "I'll open a portal." She said as she put her mask on and stepped in front of them. She sliced open a portal and walked through. Jaune and Onyx were right behind her with their own masks on, as well.

They all stepped out into the deserts of Vacuo and were instantly hit by the intense heat. They ignored it and started to search the barren landscape for anything that would point them to Gil. They then saw a sand explosion over a sand dune not far from them. They all started to run towards it and as they crested the dune, they saw a giant Death Stalker, bigger than the one Jaune fought back at Beacon, fighting a man. Although, the man was wearing black armor, wielded a greataxe and was wearing an Ursa mask. Gil had his axe over his head, trying to stop the Death Stalker from crushing him with its claws.

Jaune and Raven took off running, "Onyx, get it off him!" Jaune ordered. Onyx already had his bow out and was nocking all three of his orange tipped dust arrows. He aimed to the side of the Death Stalker before he fired his Explosion arrows. It caused an explosion on impact and sent the Grimm flying a good distance away from Gil as it screeched in pain.

Gil slumped over to get his breath back as Raven and Jaune stepped in front of him. "Took you long enough." Gil grunted out.

Jaune rolled his eyes, "You good, Old Man?"

Gil sighed and stood up, "Yeah. Let's take care of this giant bug." He readied his axe with that said.

"How'd you piss it off anyways?" Jaune asked.

"I don't fucking know. It just erupted from the ground and tried to kill me." Gil defended. Onyx made it over to them and stood beside Gil, who gave him a scrutinizing gaze, "Who's the new guy?"

"Onyx, Gil. Gil, Onyx." Raven said. "Now let's finish this Grimm off and get back to the base.

The beast rose up and screeched before running at them. Jaune and Raven met it halfway and slashed its face with their blades before jumping back. Onyx fired five normal arrows at it to slow it down. This pattern continued for a minute or so until Gil charged forward and hit the Grimm with an upward swing. It retaliated by swinging its tail at him but Jaune used his Telekinesis to move him out of the way. When Gil stopped he looked at Jaune confused, "How-?"

"Later." Jaune said before they resumed their attack. They all charged forward. The Grimm swung its one claw at them. Gil used his axe to stop the attack and tank it as Raven ran past and slashed it across the face a few more times. It screeched and sent its other claw at her. Jaune immediately stepped forward with Désespoir deployed to knock it away as Raven jumped over him to deal another hit. Onyx fired a few more arrows and it tried to impale him with its stinger. Onyx dodged then grabbed onto it. It whipped its tail around to try and dislodge him, but Onyx just nocked a purple tipped arrow and aimed it at the base of the stinger as he jumped away. He fired his Gravity arrow and the arrow caused a large concussive blast that sent him back and nearly knocked off the stinger. Gil caught Onyx as Raven and Jaune jumped back and Jaune fired a bullet into its eye with Souffrance Eternelle. "Raven." Jaune said but she was already in the air and cut the stinger clean off. Jaune grabbed it with his Telekinesis and slammed it into the back of the Death Stalker but the carapace was too thick. "Gil?!"

He turned to him and his arms were already glowing red. He was using his Semblance, Juggernaut, which increased his strength at the cost of aura. "Do it!" Jaune used his Telekinesis and threw the Faunus at the Grimm. He brought his axe down onto the stinger and with his Semblance plus Jaune's, he cut the thing almost in two. The Grimm started to fade away and they all started to regroup as Gil was still crouching on the ground.

"Well that was a thing." Onyx said as Jaune was recalling how similar this was to when him and NPR took down the same species of Grimm. He shook his head to dispel the memories.

"So, what happened, Gil? You were supposed to contact us while in Vacuo. Why are you out here?" Raven asked.

Gil was leaning on his axe, exhausted. "As the virus was uploaded, Ironwood was at Shade to talk to the Headmaster there. Don't know how but he connected the dots and figured that it was similar to what happened at Haven and was having his androids help the Huntsmen search for the culprit. I had to get out of there."

"Great, the General is becoming a real pain." Onyx said annoyed. "Should we get out of here?"

"No." Jaune said and they all turned to him. "I gave Ironwood a warning, but he still insists on trying to take us down. I think it's time we kept the promise I made to him." He smirked sadistically under his mask. It was time to deal with another of Ozpin's inner circle.

* * *

 **A/N- Wow. It has been over a month since I uploaded a chapter for this. Completely my bad. Only thing I can say is I had some severe writer's block for this chapter but I hope it was worth the wait. Also, like to thank justjustin3099, Gil Bolfal is his character and I hope I did him justice. Also, his Ursa mask looks like the remodeled Ursa from the Yang character short, not the original Ursa. We both agreed those were goofy looking. Shout out to Jauneforever for being my Beta Reader as per usual! Hopefully it won't be another month for the next update.** **With that said, I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you all later!**


	11. The Battle in the Desert

Distortion

General Ironwood was currently sitting at his desk in his private quarters on his flagship. He was on his terminal, going through the usual tasks he had to do while organizing his troops to search throughout Vacuo and the neighboring desert. He sighed as he worked. He had been hoping to get some information from Shade Academy on possible whereabouts on the Branwens. But just as he arrived, their computers systems were being attacked by an unknown virus or program. It was almost identical to the one that effected Haven over a month ago. The General decided to help the local Huntsmen by using his Knights to help with the search efforts. Although, there was no sign of the culprit. He just got done going through all his squads checking in, all except for one group further out in the desert, but that made sense, all still had nothing. Besides the knocked out third year Shade student, that was found near the Kingdom's limits with a short-circuited scroll, they found nothing.

The biggest slap in the face of this whole situation was that the program was originally a program the Atlas military was working on. But it was stolen and modified after the Branwens broke into the facility. That along with their only batch of Black Ops scrolls and a few other experimental prototypes were gone and any record of them were erased from their systems.

Ironwood leant back in his seat and gently rubbed his eyes, they were sore from staring at the screen for so long. He was tired. Not from his usual duties but from his search for Jaune Branwen. It had been over a month since Glynda's funeral and as soon as it was over, he started this manhunt. He came close to finding him several times, but every time he was close, he'd slip through his fingers. It was maddening and exhausting. He wasn't the only one running out of steam, Winter and Aaeron had been doing everything they could to help him. Both knew why he was doing this and were willing to do anything to bring the two Branwens in. But it just seemed to be an impossible task. If it wasn't for the fact that he swore on Glynda's grave that he'd bring them in, he would've cut his losses.

Just then, his terminal lit up with an alert. Ironwood looked to see it was the last squad reporting in. He took a deep breath to calm himself before answering it, "Report, Omega Squad." He waited a few seconds, but no sound came through. "Omega Squad, report." He said again. Still no sound. "Lieutenant, what's going on?"

"He's a bit…. indisposed right now." Came a very familiar masculine voice.

"Branwen!" Ironwood shouted and stood up so quickly that his chair flipped over. "What did you do to my men?!"

"Calm down, General. They're all fine, hurt but alive. You have their coordinates, so you can retrieve them. We just needed a way to contact you." Jaune said seriously but with a slight mocking tone behind it.

Ironwood growled slightly, "What do you want?"

"To put a stop to this." He responded simply. "You've been hounding us for too long now. So, I'm going to give you a chance to settle your grudge against us." Ironwood was stunned but Jaune didn't let him speak, "I'm going to keep this scroll for you to track us. We'll be at that location for twenty minutes. You have that long to meet us there before we leave."

The general was still stunned before his eyes narrowed at the screen, "Why would you do this? What's your game?"

Jaune sighed, "I _really_ hate repeating myself. My game is to get you off my back. Twenty minutes is no where near close enough for you to recall all your soldiers and fly your flagship to our location. But, if you were to gather a small group and a smaller ship… you may just make it." He could practically hear Jaune smirk, "Although, will you be able to stop us with so few soldiers? Well, that's up to you to figure out. Time's ticking, General." The call ended with that.

Ironwood just stared at the screen. It was a trap, obviously. Him and Raven had been avoiding him with little issue, there was no point in them offering themselves up like this. His best option would be to gather his troops quickly and go after them. But, he was right, he wouldn't get there in time. He clenched his robotic hand on his desk, cracking it, as he glared more at the screen. 'I can't let them slip away. Not again.'

With that, he used his terminal to call two individuals. The two picked up almost instantly, "General Ironwood, sir!"

"Winter, Aaeron. Gather all available Knights on the ship and meet me in the vehicle bay, immediately." Ironwood commanded.

"Yes, sir!" the replied before the call was ended.

Ironwood turned away from his desk and made his way out of his quarters. "For you, Glynda."

* * *

Jaune was leant against a palm tree, relaxing in the shade it provided. Jaune along with Raven, Onyx and Gil, had moved to this small oasis after the defeat of the Death Stalker. Luckily, it was only a mile or so away and where Gil was going to send his coordinates, if not for the giant Grimm that attacked him. He opened his eyes to look around the small oasis. Gil was at the spring, drinking and splashing some of the water against his face. Onyx was sitting against another tree close by, he was resting and going through his quiver, taking stock of the arrows he had left. He looked around for Raven, until he saw her move from behind his tree to stand next to him. "The time's almost up."

Jaune just nodded, "Yeah. Let's get out of here then." He tossed the scroll he took from the Atlas soldier into the spring as he pushed off the tree. Raven was about to open a portal when they all heard the sound of engines. They all turned towards the direction of Vacuo, to see a smaller ship flying towards them. "Looks like he's set on bringing us in." Jaune smirked slightly before getting serious. "Gil, Onyx, get your masks on! We don't need them knowing your faces." The two were already walking towards Jaune, putting their respective masks on and their weapons at the ready.

The ship touched down twenty feet from where they stood. It opened to reveal Ironwood, Winter and Aaeron, along with a dozen Altesian Knights. They stood across from Knightingale and the two groups just stared each other down. "So, you actually showed up." Jaune broke the silence.

"When a criminal gives themselves up, its my duty to bring them in." Ironwood said coldly.

Jaune just shook his head, "You can drop the whole 'upholding my duty' act. We both know you're doing this for revenge, it just so happens to line up with your duties." Jaune removed his hands from his pockets, "Although, you can't really blame me for killing Goodwitch. If I didn't she would've been a vegetable or so broken you wouldn't recognized her. What I did was a mercy." A bullet came flying towards Jaune, but he used Distortion at the last second to reflect the bullet into the sand before it could go through his eye. Jaune just smirked as he looked at the irate General pointing his revolver at him. "You should watch that temper of yours."

"Don't you talk about Glynda. You have no right to even speak her name after what you did!" Ironwood shouted, to the shock of Winter and Aaeron.

"I told Ozpin what would happen if he kept coming after us. He didn't listen, so I had to show him I was serious." He stated matter of fact before sighing, "Honestly, I had nothing against her. But she would've kept coming, so I had to stop her. She was an amazing Huntress and woman, that's why I didn't let her suffer." He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. When he opened them again, his emotionless mask was back on. "But enough of that. This is your chance to stop this, General. We aren't your enemy. We want the same thing as you, to stop Salem."

Ironwood flinched at that, "So, you know."

"Of course, he does." Raven spoke up. "He's my husband after all. I told him everything I knew, and he agrees with me."

"Makes sense that he'd agree with a traitor like you." Ironwood spat.

The wind started to pick up as Gil's red aura came to the surface. "I would show her some respect if I were you. Unless, you wanna be more machine than man." He growled with his axe at the ready.

Aaeron pulled his spear from his back. "You'll never get close enough."

Onyx had his bow drawn with a red tipped arrow, aimed directly at the visor of Aaeron's helmet. "That before I put an arrow through your eye?"

Winter drew her saber and pointed it at Onyx. "If you can get past me first, that is."

The Knights all readied their guns and had them aimed at Knightingale. Ironwood still had his revolver aimed at Jaune, but what was odd was that him and Raven were still perfectly calm. Jaune then spoke up again, just as calmly as before, "She's no traitor. She disagreed with your way of 'fighting' her and sought another way to do so. And she found it."

"What do you mean by that?" Ironwood questioned.

"Salem wants the relics, so Ozpin's solution was to hide them in the Academies with the Maidens acting as the keys. It was clever, but it is not a solution." Raven said as she took a step forward to be just in front of Jaune. "Salem is patient and has numerous assets at her disposal. She has been preparing and slowly whittling your defenses down. Eventually, they will be weak enough for her to make her move and she will win then." Raven then put her mask on, "Ozpin forced the world into a defensive stance while Salem continues the offensive. A defense only works as long as one can outlast their attacker. The Grimm don't tire or falter. The only way to win a war, is to attack back."

Ironwood was just staring at disbelief at her, "We can't attack her. That would be suicide!"

Jaune stepped forward, "As it is now. But, we can cripple her forces." Ironwood's eyes widened. "Raven has found the other option and with it, we can give the people of Remnant the edge we need. To win."

"That's impossible. If there was a way to do such a thing, Ozpin would've found it." The General argued.

Raven shook her head, "Ozpin knows a lot, but not everything."

"So, what _is_ your plan then?" Ironwood ventured.

"A commander is only as strong as their army." Jaune replied cryptically. "We are not about to tell you everything. Just know we are fighting against the same enemy."

They all stood there, in a deadlock. All waiting to see who would make the next move. Ironwood never lowered his gun, "You've killed numerous people for this plan of yours, I can't just let you get away with that. Especially, after Glynda."

Jaune sighed, "You were right. He only trusts himself." Jaune spoke to Raven as he slowly lifted his mask to his face. "We need to be strong to stop her and only the strong survive. That's nature. But, you all seem dead set to stand in our way. Nothing left to do now."

Jaune drew Tourmentage Tordu and that set off the powder keg. Aaeron shot forward with that, clearing the twenty feet in a second. His serrated spear, Wolk Priem, aimed at Jaune's chest. Jaune used the flat of his blade with his left hand supporting it, to deflect the spear, sending sparks flying, that was before he used Distortion to send him flying from Jaune's right. Aaeron skidded backward and was about to stop himself before he realized he was headed towards Gil who was already swinging horizontally at him. Aaeron spun and shot off at Gil, catching him off guard. Wolk Priem caught the blade of Dunkel Axe, causing it to be deflected as Aaeron flew over Gil. Onyx still had his sights trained on Aaeron, until he saw Winter charge towards him with the help of her Glyph. Her saber was about to make contact when it was deflected by Raven's blade, who charged towards Onyx to cover him. Raven planted her feet and pushed Winter away from Onyx as he was still waiting for the best possible shot.

Jaune witnessed all of that before he turned back to the General, in time to deflect another bullet with Distortion. He would've charged him, but he had to quickly reach back and deploy Désespoir to defend against the salvo of bullets from the Atlesian Knights. They were marching forward, six on each side of Ironwood as he walked forward with them. Jaune stood against the salvo for a few seconds as he channeled Distortion through his blade. When that was done, he slashed his sword across the sand as he swung upwards. That sent the sand forwards in a wave directly at them. "Onyx!" Jaune commanded.

Onyx turned towards Jaune and saw what he had done. He quickly hit the switch in the fetching of his Fire arrow, activating its secondary effect, and released. The dust was slowly being released and lit the entire arrow on fire. As soon as the arrow was on its way, Onyx quickly drew a light green tipped arrow and flicked its switch as well. He fired the arrow and its wind dust was slowly being released, causing it to fly faster. The Wind arrow went through the Fire arrow, destroying it and lighting the arrow on fire. The arrow was flying fast with now hotter flames, the wind amplifying the fire. Ironwood jumped away from the sand wave as it crashed into his Knights. As soon as that happened, the arrow hit the sand and melted it. The wave of molten glass stopped the Knights long enough for Jaune to plant his sword into the sand and draw Sommeil Eternel to fire a Distortion enhanced bullet as Onyx fired a Gravity arrow. The explosion caused the molten sand to explode outwards before rapidly cooling it. Now stood a glass sculpture of said explosion with the pieces of the androids stuck inside.

Jaune nodded to Onyx as he holstered his gun and drew his blade from the sand. As that was done, he charged towards the General. He waited until Jaune was close enough before he charged forward and punched with his robotic arm. Jaune raised his shield but the force behind it jarred his arm and pushed him back. As he was struggling against him, the General aimed his revolver at Jaune. Luckily, Jaune had enough time between the charging towards Ironwood and now to switch his Semblance from Distortion to Telekinesis. He flicked his index and middle finger of his shield arm towards the revolver. It was covered in a black aura and was pushed away enough for the bullet to miss Jaune. As the General was stunned, Jaune swung at him with his blade but he had enough time to catch the blade with the barrel of his revolver. The two were now in a power struggle until Jaune used his Telekinesis to send Ironwood off him.

The General crouched and used his mechanical arm to slow himself down. As he stood, he had a look of restrained anger. "So, its true. You stole her Semblance." He growled.

Jaune rolled both of his shoulders. "Yeah." He spoke seriously, too focused to have a joking façade. His eyes flicked over to see Raven fighting against Winter and a few of her white Beowolves. She was having little issue with dealing with the four-on-one odds. His eyes moved more to see Gil and Onyx dealing with the spear user, but it was very even.

Jaune charged forward again, this time his shield in front of him. Ironwood fired two more shots, but they were easily deflected off Désespoir. Jaune used his aura to rocket towards Ironwood for a shield bash but he was able to use his arm to protect himself from most of the impact but still had him off balance. Jaune quickly spun clockwise, his shield scraped off the General's arm as he spun a full three-sixty to cut across his chest with his blade. It cut his coat and did a number on his aura. To keep up the pressure, Jaune pulled his left arm back and went for an uppercut with the sharpened edge of the shield. Jaune caught him in the solar plexus and could feel his aura weakening, along with his Negative Aura still siphoning his aura.

Jaune was shocked when Ironwood knocked his shield away and punched him in the chest with his augmented arm, while still winded. Jaune gave a choked cry and he flew backwards. He skipped off the sand twice before he smashed through the palm tree he stood against.

* * *

Onyx and Gil were having a hard time with Aaeron. He was skilled to say the least. Every time Gil went for a swing, he would strike him in the inner shoulder to weaken his swing. He also stayed close to Gil, making it dangerous for Onyx to fire any of his dust arrows and he was low on his normal arrows after the fight with the Death Stalker. That's when Onyx saw Jaune go tumbling across the sand and into a tree. He was absolutely shocked. He never saw Jaune take such a hit. He was concerned until he saw Jaune stand up before he went to a knee, clearly winded.

That's when Aaeron ducked under another of Gil's swings and caught him in the head with the end of his spear. Gil was dazed and fell to a knee. That's when Aaeron spun his spear through his fingers, the two ends of the spear collapsed inwards to be a third of its original length. The spinning stopped, and the spearhead folded in half to be a one-sided blade. It then slid down the side of the spear until the point of the head was at the tip of the pole, revealing a barrel. That's when a gun handle came out of the middle of the pole. Aaeron took hold of the handle and placed his left hand right behind the blade to help hold the semi-auto rifle. He brought it up to his shoulder before he aimed at Jaune and fired.

"Jaune!" Onyx shouted. Jaune turned and raised his shield just in time to not get eviscerated by the bullets.

Onyx then drew his last Gravity arrow and fired at Aaeron. The spearman turned in time to see it coming and tried to dive out of the way, but the arrow released a large concussive blast as it hit the ground. That sent Aaron tumbling across the desert before he stopped himself by digging the blade of his rifle into the sand. He slowly stood to show that the visor of his helmet was heavily cracked. He quickly pulled it off and threw it away, releasing his long blonde hair and revealing his cold and calculating light blue eyes. He repositioned his hand, so his thumb was on the back of the gun while the other four fingers were still on the gun handle. He squeezed his hand to slam the handle back into the pole and the rifle extended back into its spear form. He pointed his spear at Onyx before shooting off again. Onyx had no time to react but luckily, Gil was able to block it with his axe. Aaeron started to stare into Gil's masked eyes.

* * *

Jaune lowered his shield to see that Gil was now engaged with Aaeron once again. He quickly turned to see that Ironwood was back to standing and was reloading his revolver. Jaune saw the large trunk of the tree he smashed through. He grinned evilly as he used Telekinesis on it. It rose with a black glow before the tip twisted and shattered into a sharp point. It started to spin faster and faster until Jaune sent the impromptu spear at Ironwood.

Ironwood had a flashback of Glynda using that exact tactic and froze. He came back to his senses just in time to grab it before it would burrow into his chest. The velocity behind it pushed him back as the spinning shredded the glove that hid his metal hand. As he finally slowed down, he gave a shout of exertion and threw his arm to the side to send the trunk spinning into the distance. He turned back to see Jaune already on him and attacking him with a flurry of slashes from his sword and his sharpened shield. Ironwood was being pushed back until Jaune was soon swarmed by a flock of white Nevermores. As he was defending himself from them, Ironwood turned to see that Winter had sent them as Raven was busy with her entire pack of Beowolves. Ironwood nodded to her before he aimed his revolver at the distracted Branwen.

Jaune saw the General aiming at him and was about to defend himself until he saw something in the corner of his eye. He quickly used his Telekinesis to raise a sand shield between the two of them. Ironwood was confused by the tactic; the sand wouldn't be able to protect him from his bullets. That's when he saw two arrows coming towards him and raised his metal arm. That's when the arrows exploded into flames as the fire dust was released. Ironwood screamed as the flames covered him while Jaune was sent back a couple of feet from the explosion, but the sand protected him from the flames as he intended. It appeared that the Nevermore were also dealt with in the explosion.

Jaune collapsed his shield back into its sheathe form and attached it to his back before he drew Souffrance Eternelle and charged again. Ironwood threw off his burning coat to reveal his muscular and mechanical upper body. He charged at Jaune and the two were quickly engaged once again. Ironwood was blocking Jaune's swords swings with his arm or dodging them while Jaune was either dodging or deflecting the General's punches. Both tried to aim their revolver at the other, but they would either move out of the way or smack the gun away before they could fire. The two stopped when Ironwood grabbed Jaune's gun by the barrel and Jaune locked the General's gun barrel with his blade. The two were trying to overpower the other, with Jaune using his Telekinesis to help him in his endeavor. That's when Ironwood saw a familiar shadow on the ground and grinned.

* * *

Aaeron had managed to get away from his opponents. He managed to daze Gil when he went for a powerful swing and he managed to disarm Onyx after he fired his arrows at the General. He was running as fast as he could towards Jaune and the General, Jaune with his back to him. When he was at the correct distance he used his Semblance, Luchtstaking, it allowed him to jump about a hundred meters in any direction. He used it to jump straight up into the air. When he was at the correct height, he angled his body at his target and was about to use his Semblance again to finish this. No one saw the sadistic grin spread across his face as he went flying towards his target. His spear met his target, their aura shattered and tore clean through their arm. The man was shocked especially when he heard Aaeron speak, "Sorry, General."

* * *

Winter was just shocked by this. She saw Aaeron running to assist the General but just as he went to attack, he hit the General. His mechanical arm was severed from the rest of him with the distinct sound of metal on metal. There had to be some mistake, this couldn't be real. "General!" she shouted in disbelief.

That was the worst thing she could've done. When she was distracted, she saw a series of red slashes and her Beowolves fade out of existence. She turned to see the still masked Raven in front of her. Before she could raise her weapon, Raven slashed upwards. Her aura was shattered, and her hair came loose from its bun. She just stared in disbelief before she fell to her knees then collapsed to the ground. As her vision went black, she saw Raven sheathe her sword and walk towards Jaune and Aeeron. "General…" she said weakly before she lost consciousness.

* * *

Jaune just watched as Aaeron tore through the General's mechanical arm. He grinned before he aimed his freed revolver and fired into the General's knees. He fell to the ground and Jaune kicked his gun away. Jaune was breathing heavy until he turned to Aaeron, "Good job. But that gunfire was a bit close for comfort."

He just shrugged, "I knew you could handle it. Besides, we had to make it look convincing. Although, the new guy really did a number on me with that arrow."

Jaune nodded, "Sorry about that. We had no time to tell him, mostly because we didn't know you'd be here."

"Aaeron! What is the meaning of this?!" The two turned down to General who forced himself onto his knees. He was glaring at Aaeron. "How could betray your Kingdom like this!?"

Aaeron started to chuckle and gave his former superior a sadistic grin, "I never betrayed Atlas. My loyalty has been with Jaune and Raven from the beginning." He said that as he pulled something from his small pack on his back. It was a Grimm mask but this one was in the motif of a Death Stalker. "Since Raven saved me after I was left for dead by my former team."

"Impossible." Ironwood said in disbelief.

Aaeron just shook his head, "Oh, it's _very_ true. Raven helped me get back on my feet and to repay her, I agreed to infiltrate and spy on Atlas for her. I proved myself over and over and they rewarded me with this." He gestured to his mask. "Then I started to follow Jaune after he proved himself worthy of being our leader. After he gave me this scar." He said as he pointed to it.

Ironwood just stared up at him, "It was you. You were the one that helped them break into the facility, to steal our prototypes!"

"Yup. Better in our hands then Atlas'. Being your subordinate allowed me to gather all kinds of information for the tribe and allowed me to give you delayed information on finding them. And you were none the wiser. I'm just glad I can finally give up that charade." He put his mask on and finished his speech, "Tearing you apart was almost as good as killing those bastards that abandoned me so long ago." That's when he punched him across the face and sent him to the ground.

Aaeron shook his hand to ease the pain as he placed Wolk Priem on his back. He then pulled out his Atlas scroll and activated the program that sent all the files he liberated to Jaune's scroll before it short-circuited and he dropped it like trash. Jaune looked over the files and nodded, "Good job, Aaeron. Let's go home."

They were about to walk away but something grabbed his ankle. He looked down to see Ironwood holding onto it with his remaining arm with a death grip. "You won't get away." He said, deadly serious.

That's when his arm was cut off at the shoulder. The General screamed in pain as Raven resheathed her sword. "Do not touch my husband."

Jaune just sighed, "Raven, come on." he said frustratedly and knelt to look at the Generals wound. He pulled out a fire dust crystal and used it to cauterize the wound. The General screamed in pain and was about to pass out when Jaune slapped him awake. Jaune grabbed him by his throat, so he could look into his eyes. "The only reason I don't kill you is because that would just draw more attention to us. The Councils will be more wary to try to attack the people who brought down the 'Great' General and you will serve as another example for Ozpin. But, interfere again and all bets are off." He dropped the General to the ground as Raven opened a portal. "The Revolution is coming, General." That was the last thing he said before walking through the portal.

The General could only watch as Jaune and Knightingale slipped away, yet again. But he now realized, he had no chance of catching them with Aaeron by his side. He was played like a fiddle and by someone he trusted no less. But, now he had more reasons to bring them down. And he would do it, even if he had to go through hell to do it.

* * *

 **A/N- Well, what can I say? I screwed up, plain and simple. I don't know why I can't seem to update this more than once a month. Literally, I'll say to myself, I have time to work on it and next thing I know, it's next month. It's frustrating.  
**

 **Anyways, I hope it was worth the wait. This was a chapter I had planed for a long time and I'm so happy it is out. Also, shoutout to justjustin3099! Aaeron Calis was another character submitted by the legend. His first actually. I had to wait to give him the shoutout or it would've given the twist away. With that, I hope you all enjoyed and I can only hope you can be patient with me when it comes to updating. See ya all in the next update!**


	12. Escalation and Desperation

Distortion

On the island of Vytal, there was a party going on inside Knightingale's base. It had been the first time in months that most of the surviving members of the Branwen tribe had gathered under one roof. Jaune and Onyx worked together to make some great Mistralian food for everyone and as soon as the food was ready, they all dug in. They also stocked the base with several bottles of whiskey and they were enjoying it massively. Especially, Gil and Jaune. The old bear Faunus was already hammered and was regaling Onyx on some tales from his youth. Onyx laughed along with him since he had quite a bit of alcohol in his system already. Gil had lightened up to Onyx during their fight against Aaeron, but the alcohol helped ease any tension between the two of them.

Aaeron and Raven were talking and catching up on what had happened the last few months. Meanwhile, Jaune was bouncing between everyone, offering food and drink while he had a bottle for himself. He really wasn't worried about a hangover; his aura was already taking care of the effects of the alcohol. He'd have to chug the entire bottle to even get tipsy, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. He was just happy, overjoyed actually. Knightingale was almost reunited and he was ecstatic to have them back. To have his _real_ family back.

* * *

Jaune woke up the next morning way earlier than normal. Mostly because he felt Raven untangle herself from him and sit on the edge of the bed. He turned to see her stretch her arms over her head. He smirked slightly, "Have I outgrown my usefulness in sharing a bed with you?" he joked.

She froze before she looked over her shoulder at him, "I didn't mean to wake you. I'm sorry, Jaune." She said sincerely.

He just shook his head and turned to his side to face her, "Its fine, Rave. But why are you up so early?"

She turned away, "I've slept enough. I need to get back to my search." With that she got off the bed and showed him her bare back and rear.

He got a lustful grin, but he beat those feelings down for the moment. "Raven, you've been searching for the relic nonstop for months. I know we need it, but we have time. The rest of Knightingale are still out on their missions and we still don't have wearers for the other masks." Jaune said, trying to reason with her.

Raven stood up tall as she pulled on her pure black panties with a snap of the elastic and was now putting on a matching bra, her back still to him. "That may be true, but we still need it. It's the lynchpin to our entire plan. And the sooner we get it, the sooner we can start our plans and we can always recruit other afterwards." She said stubbornly.

Jaune narrowed his eyes at her back, "But those people will be far less trustworthy. It would be stupid to trust those kinds of people with so much. Plus, you've even said that we are missing a crucial component to using the relic's powers and we don't even know what that even is. It's like getting a gun without the bullets to fire from it."

Raven finished clipping her bra and stood there with her hands at her side. They were in a silence for a while until her fists clenched, "Maybe. But better to have a weapon than not, even if we can't use it fully." With that said, she reached for her next piece of clothing.

That was until two strong arms wrapped around her stomach and pulled her back to the bed. Jaune had sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her into his lap. She tried to fight his grip but stopped when he lowered his head to her shoulder and kissed it gently. He rested his chin on the same shoulder before he spoke to her gently, "It wasn't your fault, Raven." Those words made her go stiff as a board. "You've told me time and again that the tribe's destruction wasn't my fault, but I had a larger hand in it than you did." His hand gently started to trace her stomach and the muscles underneath, trying to calm her. "It was because of Salem's lapdog, the Grimm that came during the fight and the fact I lost control of my Negative Aura. That's why the tribe is gone. I failed them, not you. So, stop trying to shoulder all of this by yourself." He held her tighter. "I didn't save you to just let you get yourself killed. I did it because I can't live without you. I _need_ you."

They were both quiet with that and the two just sat like that for a bit. That was until he felt her place her hands over his and intertwined her fingers with his own. He then felt her shake slightly as he felt drops of liquid land on his hands. "They didn't deserve it." She said weakly.

Jaune moved his hands to her waist and slowly turned her around. She followed his lead and placed one of her legs on either side of him, so she was facing him while sitting in his lap. Jaune looked and saw she had tears running down her cheeks. He gently wiped away her tears before kissing her cheek and pulling her close. He whispered into her ear, "I know. You're strong, Raven. Stronger than most. You could've run from this, but you decided to stand and fight. I respect you so much for that. But, you don't have to be strong _all_ the time. Let me help you, Beloved."

With that said, she leant her head into his shoulder and wrapped her arms and legs around him. She pulled herself as close to him as possible. Jaune wrapped her in a hug and gently kissed the side of her head. He just rubbed her back soothingly as she cried into his shoulder silently. It was the least he could do for her. She gave him the training to make him strong and a family he could rely on, along with more love than he thought was possible.

Raven eventually calmed down and the stress finally caught up to her. She fell asleep holding onto her husband. Jaune slowly eased her back into bed and untangled himself from her death grip. He tucked her in and gave her a kiss on the forehead before smiling at how at peace she looked. With that done, he took a quick shower before dressing in his normal attire, minus the armor and trench coat, and silently made his way out of their room.

He made his way to the main living area to relax and maybe start to look through Vacuo's and Atlas' files for potential candidates. He was shocked when he walked in and saw Aaeron sitting at the table. He was dressed in a similar style as Jaune and had his hair tied back in a loose ponytail. He had Wolk Priem completely disassembled on the table and he appeared to be cleaning. The rag and can of oil were a dead giveaway. Jaune smirked, "Didn't expect you to be up."

Aaeron looked up from his work for a second before he sighed, "Still used to Atlas' military routines. Didn't have a choice in the matter." He went back to cleaning his weapon, "Although, they did help me find something to help me relax." He motioned to his disassembled weapon when he said that.

He walked more into the room, "Huh, I was sure everyone would be out besides me. We all drank a lot last night."

"You, Gil and Onyx drank a lot. Me and Raven had two drinks each. Besides, I couldn't afford to have a hangover. Onyx arrows managed to get a shitton of sand in the firing chamber. Couldn't leave it like that." He said this as he was cleaning said chamber.

Jaune just shook his head, "Still don't know why you still have that gun form. You barely ever use it."

He nodded, "True. I prefer to get up close and personal but sometimes that's too dangerous. Always good to have a fallback plan."

Jaune nodded to him, "Good to know." He started to walk over to the coffee pot to get a cup as he noticed the one beside Aaeron. "Refill?"

Aaeron looked at his mug for a second, "Sure." He went to toss it, but he had oil on his hands and it slipped. It was about to smash onto the floor before it was covered in a black aura and stopped an inch above it. It then floated into the air and flew towards Jaune's extended hand. He then placed it on the counter and filled it along with his own. Aaeron just stared for a bit. "So, you really can steal Semblances, huh?"

"Yup." Jaune said simply as he walked over with both mugs. He handed Aaeron his before he sat down across from him. "Comes in handy but I still have no idea if I have a limit to how many I can take. And if there isn't, does that mean all my Semblances will weaken as I absorb more?" He sighed before taking a sip of his coffee. "I have no idea. So, I think I'm only going to steal a Semblance if it's very useful or no other option."

"Is that why you didn't bother with Winter's Semblance?" he asked as he started to reassemble Wolk Priem.

Jaune nodded, "That's part of it. But her being a Schnee also was a factor." Aaeron just raised an eyebrow with that. "Jacque may be a piece of human garbage, but he wouldn't be able to sit around if his daughter was killed or worse. Even if he doesn't care about _either_ of his daughters; if the media heard of what happened, he'd have to do something to save face. Last thing we need is an army or force being supplied and funded directly by the SDC on our tails."

"Good point." Aaeron said before drinking his own coffee. "How long are we going to have to lay low?" he asked, all business.

Jaune just looked up at the ceiling. "Not long. At least for you, Onyx and Gil. Onyx and Gil haven't been tied to the incidents at Haven and Shade, respectively. So, they could still be sent on missions there or we could play it safer by sending them to the other three Kingdoms they have no tie to." He pulled out his scroll and started going through it. "You would be a bit different. We may just send you to Vacuo or Mistral, since you were well known in Atlas. Plus, for the time being, they'll be focused on you after your 'betrayal.' Luckily, they'll be more focused on me. Comes with killing someone as high ranking as Goodwitch and taking down the General. Good thing we didn't kill him, or all the Kingdom's Councils would be hunting us down, he does hold two seats for Atlas, after all. So, I'll still go out on missions as normal to divert attention from the rest of you."

Aaeron had his weapon completely assembled at this point, "Sounds risky for you but, you're the boss. I learned a while ago that you know what you're doing." He smirked as he ran his fingers across the scar on his cheek. "Have you heard from Ghost and Venom?"

Jaune was still going through his scroll, "You and your codenames, why can't you call them by their real names? We are in our base, after all." He looked up to see Aaeron giving him a shit eating grin. Jaune smirked before looking back at his scroll, "Fine. Ghost, is still in Menagerie and keeping an eye on the White Fang there, so we'll know if they'll cause us problems." He sighed, "Venom is still out on his personal mission. He has a few leads but nothing concrete."

"Should we really just let him run around like that? He wasn't exactly thinking straight when he left." He asked concerned.

"Were any of us?" Jaune asked as he put his scroll down on the table. "We all lost a lot. Venom started seeing us as his second family and it was taken from him as soon as he was starting to heal. He needs to work through this in his own way. But if he gets in over his head, we'll be there to save his scaly ass." Jaune smirked.

Aaeron smirked and raised an eyebrow, "He has scales on his ass?"

Jaune just shrugged, "No idea. But I'm not gonna ask or find out for myself." The two shared a laugh after that. "Not curious on our last missing member?" Jaune asked once they calmed down.

He shook his head slightly, "Not really. She can handle herself just fine and knows Vale better than anyone. Besides, she'd want you to be more worried about her safety than anyone else." Jaune just sighed and nodded, not bothering to argue. Aaeron just chuckled with that. "She has it for you bad, Jaune."

"I know." He groaned. "I'm just glad she hasn't done anything to make Raven try to kill her. Don't want to be between those two."

"Again, you're the boss. That's part of your job description, making sure we don't kill each other." Aaeron said with a smirk.

Jaune just glared at him, "Why did I miss you, again?" Aaeron just laughed again and Jaune joined him shortly after. Aaeron may've been a prick but he was like an older brother to him, he wouldn't trade that for anything. He looked back down to his scroll, which was showing Haven's student roster specifically, Team SSSN. Jaune smirked, 'May have to introduce myself soon.' He thought to himself.

* * *

A few days had passed since the incident at Shade and Ozpin had just received a message from Ironwood. It was a detailed report on how he tried to stop Jaune and Raven, but he was stopped when Aaeron Calis betrayed him and joined them. Apparently, he had been a double agent since the moment he rejoined Atlas. It also stated that Winter was knocked unconscious and Ironwood lost both his artificial arm and his remaining one. The two were back on their way to Atlas for the General to receive new replacements for his limbs. Ozpin could tell just by reading this that James was still set on bringing Jaune and Raven down, but it being even more personal now.

Ozpin sat back in his chair and massaged his eyelids. "Now they have sensitive material from the other three Kingdoms." He removed his hand and looked back at his desk, showing the fight Jaune had against CRDL months ago. "What are you two planning?" he asked out loud.

"That's the million Lien question, now isn't it?

Ozpin turned to see Qrow leaning near an open window of his office. He was drinking from his flask as Ozpin started to talk to him, "Did you manage to gather any information, Qrow?"

The Huntsman just sighed as he put his flask away, "Got plenty of info. Don't know how much of it is useful though." He started to walk over to Ozpin's desk, "Raven has been popping up all over Sanus and Anima since the Kid showed back up. She even made a few trips to Solitas. From what I've been able to gather, she's looking for something and whatever it is, it's tied to the Branwen Tribe."

"Is she meeting up with anyone of interest?" The Headmaster asked, knowing the specifics of her Semblance.

Qrow just shook his head, "No one that she would establish a bond with. Sometimes she just appears in the middle of nowhere with no one around for miles." He sighed, "Her Semblance is different now. It may have evolved past the point where she doesn't need a person to open a portal to."

"That is unsettling." Ozpin replied. "Although, it isn't unheard of for a Semblance to evolve. What about Jaune?"

Qrow sighed, "Similar case. He's been appearing all over Anima. But unlike my sister, he's been trying to meet up with people. High value targets, ex-Huntsman and Huntresses, some infamous criminals. As far as I've found, he'll talk with them and leave. No fights or deaths in his path. Also, someone running around with a Beowolf mask has been doing the same thing."

Ozpin looked back to Qrow, "Another mask from the Branwen tribe?" he asked.

Qrow nodded, "Most likely. But he only started to show up after that incident at Haven, so they might be connected."

"Hmmm." Ozpin said as he drank his coffee. "I'll ask Leo about it once everything is settled in Mistral. They're still checking over their systems and the CCT to be safe. Any idea on what the connection between what Raven and Jaune are doing?"

Qrow threw his hands into the air with that. "No idea, Oz. Like I said before, besides the masks, I've never heard of anything holding any significance to the Tribe. And even the details of the masks were hush-hush to most of us. So, I don't have the faintest idea on what Raven could be looking for. Jaune and the other guy are probably looking to recruit more people, the Tribe was almost destroyed a while back."

"So, they are looking for people to join their cause. Would make sense on why they would steal files from the academies. They would help them find people more suitable for what they have planned. But, we still have no idea on what they could be up to." Ozpin sighed, "This is troublesome."

The two sat in a silence for a while, until Qrow broke it. "How are they doing?"

Ozpin didn't need any clarification. "They are still shaken. They are still annoyed that we didn't send them to bring Jaune back. But with what happen to CFVY and Glynda, they are beginning to worry more for him. Soon they'll give up hope for him to come back and they'll blame themselves more for what he has been doing." He gently rubbed his forehead as he continued, "Or they'll become more desperate to save him and get themselves in more danger."

Qrow just gave Ozpin a look, "What do you mean by _more_ trouble?"

Ozpin hesitated for a second, "Somehow after CFVY had returned, they set up a meetup with Jaune." Qrow's eyes widened, "They were fine. They only talked to each other. I didn't ask what because it seemed like they were trying to convince him to let them help him. It didn't go anywhere and eventually, some of James' Knights tried to bring him in. He took care of them, but Ruby got caught in the crossfire. She was unharmed since Jaune literally stepped in front of her to protect her."

Qrow just looked at his 'boss' for a few seconds before he sighed, "Looks like he's at least keeping his word on adopting Raven's 'rule of one'. How'd they take all of that?"

"NPR and Ruby are still convinced that there is some of the Jaune they knew in him still. Although, the rest of RWBY are uncertain. They can see him as being a threat but after he protected their leader, it's hard for them to decide one way or the other." He explained to him.

Qrow nodded, "So, what have the Councils decided on what to do with the Kid?" he asked solemnly.

"Now that he has attacked James, they are elevating his threat level. Instead of leaving it up to James to bring him in on his own, all the Academies are now advised to send any and all information they receive on him to Atlas for them to figure out on what to do. But James is now officially leading the hunt for him and Atlas is giving him their full support."

Qrow looked up at the ceiling and sighed, "Great. The Tinman is too stubborn for his own good." He looked back to the Headmaster. "You still intend to bring him in and help him?" Ozpin just nodded. "And you still want me looking into this?" He nodded again. "Well, it's a good thing I'm not part of Beacon then or I'd have to give that same info to Jimmy." Qrow gave him a halfhearted grin.

Ozpin returned it, "Thank you, old friend. Now to just tell those seven about what has happened." He added sadly.

"I'll do it." Qrow said as he made his way to the elevator. "It'd probably be best coming from me."

* * *

NPR were sitting in their dorm, trying to come to terms with what they just heard. Ruby and Yang's uncle had just informed them and RWBY that Jaune had recently attacked General Ironwood and Weiss' sister. They were stunned by the brutality of what happened to the General and were relieved to hear that Winter was mostly unharmed, which made Weiss breathe easy. They were also shocked to learn that he most likely had a hand in the incidents at Haven, and more recently, Shade. But what made their hearts drop, was when he told them that Atlas were backing the General on his manhunt for him and the Academies would have to send any information to them. That cemented the fact that Jaune was now viewed as a criminal by most of the world.

That caused Ruby to breakdown in her sister's arms as her other two teammates tried to help her. NPR were shaken just as much, but asked to leave and when Qrow nodded, they went back to their dorm. As soon as the door closed, Nora collapsed into Ren's arms and started to cry into his chest. He just pulled her close as she did, his face was completely emotionless, even for him. Pyrrha sat on her bed and pulled her legs to her chest and she leant her head against her knees. Tears flowed from her eyes as well.

"This isn't real, right?" Nora asked desperately. "Tell me this is all just a dream, Renny. That I'll wake up soon and Jaune will be here and we'll be one big happy family again."

Ren slowly shook his head as he gently patted her's, "I'm sorry, Nora. But this is real and there's nothing we can do."

Nora cried more as Pyrrha went rigid. "I wish I never abandoned him." Nora cried. "I wish I could just hug him, to tell him how s-sorry I am and that I l-love him like my b-brother. I want him to be our Fearless Leader again."

Ren nodded, "Me too, Nora. Me too."

The room was just filled with Nora crying until Pyrrha spoke for the first time since they talked with Qrow. "Maybe we can."

The two turned to see that Pyrrha was sitting up and looking at them, she had dried tears on her face. "W-what do you mean?" Nora asked.

"Jaune is like this because of us." She stated. "Yes, RWBY and us abandoned him but we were his team, we were supposed to be by his side no matter what." She looked them in the eyes, "It was our job to look out for Jaune and we failed him once. I'm done continuing to do so." She stood up from her bed with a fire in her eyes, "I say we bring him in before Ironwood can hunt him down. Bring him back so we can help him, and we can be Team JNPR again."

The two were stunned and looked at each other before Ren spoke up, "Pyrrha, we don't even know where he is."

She shook her head, "Doesn't matter. I'm done sitting around and letting my partner get himself in deeper and deeper in whatever he is doing. I don't care how, but I'm going to find him and bring him back to Beacon."

Ren was about to argue with her when Nora broke away from him. She wiped her eyes and sniffed before she looked back at Pyrrha, "Let's go get our leader back." She said seriously.

Pyrrha placed her hand on the bomber's shoulder and the two shared a smile. They then turned to Ren. They stared at each other for a bit before he sighed, "You do realize how crazy this sounds, right?" They nodded, "And we may be considered criminals if we get caught, right?" They nodded again. He just sighed as he placed his hand over his eyes. He took a deep breathe before he took his hand away. He looked at his teammates and put on a smile, "Alright, I can't just let you two do this alone." Nora cheered and hugged her partner as Pyrrha smiled widely. They were going to get Jaune back, one way or the other. Too bad they didn't know what the cost would be.

* * *

 **A/N- Here's the next chapter for Distortion. I feel bad about not posting this more often but for some reason I can only work on this monthly. I can't get into the right mindset for this story all the time. So, honestly, this will stay as being updated monthly. The next chapters will be posted on the first week of each month, hope you'll all understand. Also, shoutout to my awesome Beta Jauneforever, again. Goddamn legend right there. See you all in the next update!  
**


	13. Eclipsing the Sun

Distortion

It had been about a month or so since Jaune had battled General Ironwood. During that time Pyrrha, Ren and Nora were making their plans. Most of Jaune's appearances after that time had been around Mistral, not too far away from the main Kingdom itself. With a plan set, they packed their essentials and took a bullhead from Beacon to Vale. There, Pyrrha used her fame and wealth to get an airship to take them to Mistral. From there, they would try to collect more information and try to find Jaune to hopefully get him to come with them.

By the time the Professors had found out about NPR's disappearance, it was too late. They were already on there way to Mistral with little way of stopping them. Pyrrha had paid the pilot extra to not turn around for anything. Word spread across the school of what NPR were planning after that. When word eventually got to RWBY, their leader was less than pleased. Currently, she was stomping around their dorm as her teammates watched her. "Why would they do that?" she growled. "They make a plan to go find Jaune and they don't tell us! Jaune's my best friend, they can't just not tell me something like this!"

Blake was the one to answer her, "Ruby, they probably didn't want to get us involved. This is their team's problem and wanted to deal with themselves. You guys did something similar to me, remember?"

She threw her hands up in the air in frustration, "I get that! But we all agreed to help him out and that hasn't changed!" She wasn't sure what she was expecting but the awkward silence that filled the room wasn't it. She stopped her pacing and turned to her team, who were avoiding her gaze. "That hasn't changed, right, guys?"

Weiss and Blake turned to look at Yang. The blonde sighed and jumped off her bed to stand in front of her sister, "Ruby, it's not that we don't want to help him. It's just, how are we supposed to do that? He's not exactly the guy we used to know. He's dangerous."

Ruby was shocked by her sister saying that and that quickly became anger, "He's like that because of _us_. We hurt him so badly that he wanted to kill himself and when he didn't, he was broken in so many ways because of it."

Weiss spoke to her partner, in her professional tone. "That maybe true but this is a little beyond us. Ruby, he killed Professor Goodwitch and he nearly did the same to General Ironwood. Not to mention what he did to Team CRDL a few months back. The only reason he hasn't done something similar to us is because of this 'rule of one' of his."

Ruby glared at her, "We have no idea what has happened to him since he left Beacon. For all we know he could've been tortured or forced to do this or something worse would've happened to him. We have no idea what Raven has put him through. He could have Stockholm Syndrome for all we know."

"We understand that." Blake was the one to speak up next. "But what we're trying to say is that because of that, we may not be able to bring him back to who he was before." She looked down sadly, "Some things that break can never be truly fixed." Her mind went to Adam for all of a second before she banished those thoughts. She didn't want to compare Jaune to Adam, mostly because she would be partially responsible for the former of the two.

"Is that how you feel about the White Fang?" Ruby asked heatedly which caused Blake to look back up before staring at her in shock. Ruby then turned her head to look at her partner, "Or how you feel about your family's company?" Weiss flinched at her tone. Ruby just looked at her sister before finishing, "Or you wanting to meet your mother?" Yang's jaw dropped when Ruby brought that up. She knew that was a sore spot with Yang and she never brought it up.

There was an extended silence for a bit and Ruby took that as a sign to leave. She got to the door and stopped when she grabbed the doorknob. "Anyone else would consider those goals just as futile, but you wouldn't care about that. Because you care far too much to let them dissuade you. Maybe that just shows how much you _really_ did care about Jaune before all of this. But I refuse to give up on him because that's how much _I_ care for him and it's the absolute least I can do for him" She didn't even wait for a response before she left. She needed some time in the training room with her sweetheart to burn off some steam.

That left the other three members to sit in a silence. Blake was the one to speak up, "She does have a point."

Weiss sighed, "I know she does, but it doesn't make what she said, hurt any less." After another brief silence, her light blue eyes looked to her teammates, "What do we do now?"

Yang answered her, "For now, Ruby needs some space. So, we'll give her some." She started to head to the bathroom to take a hot shower after everything.

* * *

Jaune was currently sitting in the branches of one of the tallest trees in forest near Shion village. He was looking for a known Bounty Hunter that used to live around the area. But because the Branwen tribe attacked this village before their destruction and the ensuing Grimm afterwards, the man most likely moved on. He sighed as he crossed the name off his list of potential members for Knightingale. Honestly, he was getting sick of this routine. All the people he had found either had moved somewhere else or found that they really didn't fit the roles he was looking for.

During that time, Gil and Onyx were still taking missions in Vacuo and Mistral respectively. As long as no one saw them in their masks, they wouldn't be linked to Knightingale for some time. Although, Raven, Aaeron and himself were now highly wanted criminals, so he had finally convinced Raven to take Aaeron for back up on her search for the Branwen relic. He knew all too well that she could take care of herself, but it just put his mind at ease to have someone back her up, just in case. Even if they knew the other could hold their own, they always worried for the other. Meanwhile, he still went off on missions by himself. Him drawing Atlas' attention helped to keep the others off the radar for as long as possible.

Luckily, finding the bounty hunter was only a side objective. Onyx had found out that Team SSSN would be going on a mission to try and lessen the Grimm here, so the Kingdom could try to rebuild the village again. They were dropped off a mile or two to the south and were going to make their way over to his location eventually. So, all he had to do was just sit and wait. Maybe if he was lucky, he'd finally get a few more members for Knightingale. If not, he'd at least get a chance to get another useful Semblance. Although, it was strange to think of Sun like that. They weren't exactly close to each other. He mostly hung out with Blake but the few times they did hang out, he was cool. He treated him like a friend. That made him wonder, how would have Sun reacted to his fake transcripts? Would he have been like the others or would he have stuck by him?

He shook his head as he put his scroll away. That was in the past now. Sun, and possibly his team, would either join Knightingale or he'd have to deal with them accordingly. He pulled out Souffrance Eternelle from his left holster and observed it. It was still in great condition from all the maintenance he put into it. There were a few scratches and scuffs along the barrel and revolver, but he just saw that as character. All his weapons had sentimental value to him, but this revolver had so much more to him. But that made so much sense when he thought about it.

* * *

 _It had been about two months since Jaune had fully joined the Branwen tribe and Gil was right, it was hell. Since that day, Raven had personally started to train him in swordsmanship and combat, and he had lost track of how many times he had his ass handed to him. If it wasn't for his first few months of training, he probably would've been severely injured during their spars. The only reason he wouldn't be dead is because she didn't want him to be._

 _Although, he had to give her credit, her style of teaching was working. Unlike Goodwitch, she didn't spell out what he did wrong. He had to figure it out on his own and usually during the fight or he'd repeat the same mistake and it'd be more painful than the first time. That made the progress he gained more valuable and unforgettable. With the bonus of turning his own personal fighting style into a much more adaptive and instinctual style. Combine that with his more tactical mind and even the more senior members of the tribe were becoming impressed by his improvement._

 _Along with sparring with Raven and their usual exercises, he stilled worked on the other aspects of his combat style. He was still practicing his shooting and even started to learn how to quickdraw, since he decided he'd stick to handguns over the other guns at the tribe's disposal. His hand-to-hand was still being worked on but instead of learning complex fighting positions and styles, he decided to refine his basics. He mostly stuck with a few simple punches and kicks, with a few elbow strikes, knee strikes and even the occasional headbutt. Along with a few grapples if he needed them. There was that saying, 'Less is more.' To try and gain an extra advantage against Raven, he even started to learn how to wield his sword left-handed. It wasn't perfect, but he was now only slightly worse off with his undominant hand compared to his dominant._

 _Along with that, he still had a few regular spars with Gil. The old bear was starting to grow on him. Honestly, he could see him as a surrogate father figure. Or grand father figure, but that would earn him a massive fist to the back of his head. Although, that had the consequence of him becoming his drinking buddy. That wasn't so bad though. Gil was a great guy when he wasn't testing you or trying to not embed his axe into your skull. And his tales of his time in the tribe were also amusing, especially after a few drinks were in him. Which meant, helping back to his tent when he was drunk off his ass or stopping him from trying to beat a new blood to a pulp. He also had to be careful to not get too drunk either. The last thing he needed was to have a hangover with Raven's training routine._

 _He would also consider his Semblance all but mastered by now. He could easily call upon Distortion at a moment's notice. He could also channel it to any part of his body or multiple parts without much difficulty. It was a pretty useful ability. From the outside, it could deflect any attack that came his way. Or by focusing it with more aura, he could redirect the attack back at the person with twice the force. While on the inside, it would absorb any force he exerted, say a punch or kick, and amplify it. He even learned to release a large amount of Distortion at once for an 'ultimate' defense, but only if the situation called for it. The only downside to his Semblance was the massive aura drain it had. Even with his reserves and his Negative aura's property to absorb aura, he couldn't use it with reckless abandonment. If his aura was too low, that meant no Semblance and it would be harder for him to siphon more aura with his reserves weakened._

 _During that time, he started to go on raids with the other new bloods. Nothing too severe. Just attacking convoys or small settlements to gather supplies they needed. Jaune wasn't a hundred percent okay with this but he knew it was a 'necessary' evil. Again, this caused him to analyze himself. He never would've imagined doing something like this before meeting Raven. Or more precisely, unlocking his Negative aura. He figured out that since it grew stronger from negative emotions, that it also pulled those emotions to the surface. Since he had mastered his aura the negative emotions that used to dominate him; fear, depression, anger hatred, had all been brought under his control again. Although, he was more apathetic now. He was more or less the same emotionally now. He just wasn't as naïve as before. But, he still refused to kill unless it was absolutely necessary. The weak would eventually die but that didn't mean he had to be the one to do it._

 _It was on one of those incursions that he found his hooded, black trench coat. Besides the fact that it had one of its sleeves torn off, it was in great condition. He tore off the other to make it sleeveless and when his group got back to camp, he went to a few members that could be deemed as tailors and they added the red markings that went from the upper part of his chest, to go over his shoulders and down his back to the end of it. Which he now wore every time he went out on missions._

 _Currently, Jaune was sitting in Raven's tent, like he did most nights, and was meditating. This was a necessity to keep his Negative aura in check. He could hear that Raven was kneeling a few feet in front of him and sharpening her blade. The sound of the whetstone scraping across her weapon was the familiar sound he'd hear while doing this. It was more calming than jarring now._

 _After being here for so long, he realized how strange it was for him to be in Raven's tent. Not many people were allowed there. But he was there more often than some of the senior members. Some of the other new bloods started to believe that Jaune was her consort or something. Although, they made sure to never say that too loud. Raven had a temper and they wanted their limbs still attached to their bodies._

 _Jaune personally found those rumors annoying. Raven was his teacher and he owed her a massive debt but that was all to their relationship. Not that he wasn't aware how gorgeous she was. He was dense, or used to be, not blind. If he was honest, her pale skin that contrasted with her black hair was amazing. And her red eyes were intimidating, but if anyone looked closure, they'd see just how beautiful they were. But, then again that could be a matter of preference. Would make sense since his whole family was some kind of blonde with blue eyes. Not to mention her physical features. Yang definitely inherited a lot from her mother, but she still blew her daughter out of the water every day of the week. At least in his opinion._

 _He realized his train of thought had gone on longer than it should've and her tried to clear it. But that was when Gil's teasings about Raven maybe wanting to bed him came back to his mind. He couldn't stop his cheeks from flushing. He gave an almost inaudible sigh while thinking, 'Damn it, Gil.'_

" _Jaune." Raven spoke up after a half hour or so of silence. Jaune opened his eyes to see her looking at him with an intense gaze. He was worried she somehow figured out what he was thinking until she continued speaking, "I didn't just call you here for your usual meditation session. I need to… discuss a few things with you."_

 _That caused Jaune's mind to go to the gutters once again. 'Bad, Jaune, bad! Down!' He shouted in his head but tried to speak calmly, "Okay. What about?"_

" _You've been with us for a while now. Myself and the other senior members have noticed your growth and interactions with the other new bloods. And we've come to a unanimous decision, regarding your status here." With that, she allowed a silence to fill her tent and that put Jaune on edge. He had no idea on what to think or say, so he decided to let Raven continue when she was ready. Eventually, her emotionless mask fell, and she had a small smile, "We've decided to make you a leader of incursions. As long as there isn't a more senior member in your party, you are the leader. Congratulations, Jaune."_

 _It took a second for what she said to register in his head. When it did, he gave a sigh of relief, "Oum, Raven, you had me worried there. I thought you were gonna have me killed for a second." He then gave her an appreciative smile, "Thank you for the honor. I won't let you down."_

 _Raven just shook her head slightly, "You don't have to prove anything to me. You've done so again and again since the day you came here. You've shown everyone here just what you are made of. The only person you cannot let down, is yourself. Many more people are now relying on you now." She then gave him a coy smile, "Besides, it would take a lot for me to kill you. You've grown on me."_

 _He just looked at Raven for a bit and nodded to her, not sure on what to say at the moment. "There is one more thing." She stood up and left her weapon sheathed on the floor. She walked over to the small table by her bed to pick up a smallish black case. She sat down where she was before speaking again, "I had this made for you a while back from a contact of mine. It seems fitting to give it to you now." She handed him the case and he opened it to show a black revolver with a red handle and trimming._

 _Jaune slowly reached for the gun and pulled it from the case. He felt the weight in his hand and it felt comfortable. Right, even. After all his time shooting, it seemed to fit perfectly. He smiled at this weapon. Besides his coat, this was the first thing that was purely his. His clothes and broadsword, even his tent, were given to him by the tribe out of necessity. But this was a gift from Raven and that made so much joy surge in his chest. He couldn't stop himself from doing what he did next._

 _He placed his gun back in the case before he set it on the ground. He then leant over and pulled Raven into a hug, shocking the Huntress. He felt her go rigid in his arms before he whispered to her, "Thank you so much, Raven."_

 _After a few seconds, she relaxed and slowly wrapped her arms around him. "You're welcome." They eventually pulled apart and Jaune couldn't help but stare into her eyes. He wasn't sure for how long but when Raven cleared her throat, he came back to reality. "So, what will you name it."_

 _Jaune turned to his new gun in its case. He thought about it for a bit and remembered how the older generations of Arcs used to name their weapons. He couldn't help himself and smirked as he answered, "Souffrance Eternelle."_

* * *

Jaune was pulled from his memories when he heard the sounds of combat not even a quarter mile away. He quickly moved from sitting to a kneeling position in the branches. He pulled up his hood before placing his mask over his face as a precaution if it wasn't who he was expecting. Souffrance Eternelle was still in his left hand as he held the tree with his right hand.

It didn't take long before the team he was expecting ran into Shion. Sage and Sun were in the lead while Neptune and Scarlet were a few steps behind, firing into the horde of Grimm. They stopped in the middle of the ruined village as about two dozen Beowolves followed behind them.

Jaune watched as the four Huntsmen- in-training started to fight the Grimm. He started to analyze them before he decided to make himself known. Plus, if they couldn't take care of some Beowolves, they weren't right for Knightingale in the first place.

Sage was like an immovable wall. He would take the hits that the Grimm were dishing out due to his large reserves of aura before he'd end them quickly with his greatsword. Scarlet had a very peculiar style. He'd dodge the Grimm's attacks and then use his cutlass or flintlock to strike the most venerable spot to end them efficiently. The only odd part was his dodging, it was like he was skillfully reflexive but also clumsy at the same time. It was very unorthodox. Or maybe he was just lucky. Neptune looked like he preferred to keep his Grimm away from him with his ranged attacks but was skilled enough to take them down when they got close enough with his weapons guan dao or trident forms. Sun was the most impressive though. His fighting style allowed him to dodge the attacks easily and deal with them quickly afterwards with his weapon. Jaune smirked under his mask, 'They are good.'

They had pretty much dealt with the Grimm when he noticed movement on the roof of a destroyed building not too far from his position. He looked to see an Alpha stalking them on the rooftops and getting ready to pounce on Neptune from above, while he was still distracted.

As it jumped, Jaune used his aura to rocket off the tree. He quickly drew Tourmentage Tordu and as he intercepted the older Grimm, he impaled it through its right shoulder blade and out the left side of its chest, near where the collar bone would be. The force from his jump pushed them to the ground where he used the Grimm to break his fall. They slid across the ground and Jaune pinned it to the ground when they stopped, using his blade and right leg to stomp on its back. The Alpha tried to get back to its feet. So Jaune placed his revolver on the back of its head and fired. The Grimm died and started to evaporate into smoke immediately.

Jaune pulled his blade free from the corpse and turned to see SSSN staring at him, both in confusion, awe and fear. He simply sheathed his sword and holstered his gun at that. That appeared to have them calm down a bit. Sun then stepped forward with his hand in the air, "Yo, thanks for the save, dude! Otherwise, my partner would've been Grimm chow." He said with a smirk.

"Hey, I had that under control!" Neptune tried to defend himself while still trying to act cool.

Jaune just chuckled, "Still trying to act like the cool guy, huh, Neptune."

That shocked the four, especially Sun and Neptune since they recognized the voice. "No way…" Sun said in shock.

Jaune pulled down his hood before he took off his mask. Their eyes widened further as Jaune smirked, "Its been a while, you two."

"Jaune?" Sun asked in shock. "Is that really you?"

"In the flesh, Sun." he said a she stepped off the Grimm corpse. "So, are you shocked because you still thought I was dead or because you weren't expecting to be the ones to stumble onto Atlas' number one 'terrorist'?"

"So, it's true?" Neptune spoke up and he turned to look him in the eyes, even if they were separated by ten feet. "You actually did all that? Attacked General Ironwood, killed Goodwitch?"

Jaune nodded, "Yes. But to be fair, I did warn them to stay out of my way. They didn't listen, so I had to send a message. Not my fault they were slow learners. Not to mention, Ironwood was the aggressor in that instance."

"How can you just talk about that so nonchalantly?" Scarlet asked in shock and fear.

Jaune turned to him with a shrug, "A matter of perspective. They saw me as a broken man needing to be saved. Or as a dangerous psychopath that needed to be put down. Meanwhile, I saw them as skilled warriors that just followed a misguided leader and were too stubborn or scared to see things differently. So, they left me no choice."

"So, what? Are you planning to do the same to us?" Sage asked with an edge as he gripped his sword tighter.

Jaune shook his head, "No. I have an offer for you all and as long as you don't force my hand, I won't have to do that. Especially, considering you've been fighting Grimm and I'm still fresh." He waited a few seconds, none of them said anything or tried to attack him, so he continued. "There is a war being fought in the shadows. The Headmasters and a few others know about it. Its been going on for millennia. For now, we are at a slight standstill. But that won't last forever. If we don't act soon, humanity and Faunus-kind will lose. And the Grimm will own this world."

The shock on SSSN's faces was understandable, but he continued. "My wife, Raven, has found another option. With it we cannot only turn the tide of this war. We can win it. But to do that, we need allies that are powerful, and we can trust." Jaune held his hand out to them, "You four are strong and I know I can trust you with what's to come next. So, what do you say? Do you want to be used pawns in this twisted game of chess? Or do you wanna make a difference in this war?"

There was a deathly silence as the four men looked between each other and Jaune. Jaune stood there in the same position, waiting for their answer. Sun stepped forward slightly, "What will you do with the people who don't agree with you?"

Jaune answered in an apathetic tone, "Nothing. As long as they don't stand in my way, they can do whatever. But if they stand in my way, they will die."

"What about your old team and RWBY?" Neptune asked.

"I don't trust them, but they are free to do what they want. But they won't be killed. At least for the first time. I promised to save them once but after that all bets are off."

"How can you say that about them!?" Sun shouted. "They were your friends! When they thought you died…"

"They were devastated?" Jaune asked hollowly as he dropped his hand. "I don't care about that. They thought Jaune Arc was lower than garbage when he was alive. They didn't care that _he_ died, just that they got someone killed because of their actions. And even if that isn't the case, I don't care. Jaune Arc is gone, end of story." He looked at them and sighed. "Looks like you've made your decision." He turned his back to them to leave.

"Jaune, stop!" Sun shouted. "We can't just let you leave. Atlas is after you, you can't run forever."

He looked over his shoulder with a smirk, "I don't plan to. And I'll say this again." He turned and drew his flamberge. "Don't force my hand."

That was all they needed to hear. Sage shot forward with a green shockwave behind him. He closed the space between them rapidly. Jaune instantly channeled Distortion through his sword and his fist. As their blades met, the ground behind Jaune shattered from the force of Sage's swing. Jaune instantly started to turn his body to the right as he swung his fist at Sage. He brought up his arm to block it, but it was too late. Jaune released both Distortions, using his strength and Sage's to send him flying into the remains of the building the Alpha was on a few minutes beforehand. Sage screamed as his aura took the hit. And as he broke through the wall of the building, it collapsed on top of him. Jaune wasn't fazed, he knew he still had aura to protect him. But that building may've used the last of it.

He turned back to see the remaining three members open fire on him. Jaune called his Semblance to cover his entire body to deflect all the shots in random directions. They stopped, and Sun quickly slammed his hands together to activate his Semblance. Two light versions of Sun appeared and ran towards him.

Jaune's Negative aura activated, and two black tendrils of aura shot out from his body. The tendrils impaled the clones in the chest and they stopped before acting like their real-life equivalent would by grabbing their chests in pain. Black veins/cracks started to spread across them before they flashed black and disappeared. The aura tendrils retreated into Jaune as he closed his eyes and he inhale deeply as he assimilated the temporary Semblance he just took. He opened his eyes to see they were stunned and Sun was on one knee from using his Semblance after fighting Grimm for most of the day. "Last chance." Jaune warned as he started to walk towards them.

That galvanized Scarlet to charge forward while Neptune stayed behind to guard their exhausted leader. Jaune met the wannabe pirate in duel of blades. Jaune would give it to Scarlet, he was skilled with a sword. But Jaune still had his advantage with his weaponry. Every time his flamberge met Scarlet's cutlass, vibrations were being sent up his arm, jarring it. While Jaune was siphoning aura from him to replenish the aura he had exhausted from using his Semblance earlier. Not that it was going too easily, Scarlet's 'unique' dodging made it extremely hard to land any hit that got past his blade.

Scarlet started to realize he couldn't out match Jaune with swordsmanship alone, so he aims his flintlock at him. Jaune dodged to the side as the bullet raced past his head. As he was turning back, he drew his revolver once again. He was stopped when something wrapped around his handgun. He looked to see a grappler leading from Scarlet's gun was attached to his gun. Jaune continued to spin and connected a kick to the side of his head. Before he could get far, Jaune used the grappler to pull him back to land a second kick to send him to the ground.

Jaune managed to get Souffrance Eternelle free from his weapon before he started to bring down Tourmentage Tordu to slash him across his back. Before he could complete his swing, Jaune was forced to jump back from the shot of energy that was aimed at him. He looked to see Neptune firing more shots at him while charging him. Jaune avoided two of the shots before sending Distortion to his palm to palm strike the attack, sending it back to its owner.

Neptune jumped over it as he shifted his weapon to its guan dao form. He came down with an overhead slash but Jaune blocked it with his sword. He quickly aimed his gun at the bluenette before firing twice. The first shot bit into his shoulder but he twisted his body to disengage their weapons and to fall to the ground to avoid the second. Neptune than slashed with his weapon to try and sweep Jaune's legs but he just backflipped to avoid it.

When he landed, he aimed his revolver at the downed Huntsmen-in-training once again. But he was interrupted when a shot impacted his back. He looked over his shoulder to see Scarlet charging at him again. Jaune spun and their blades were locked once again. Neptune used the opportunity to shift his weapon into its trident form and stabbed Jaune in the back with it, he's aura stopping it from piercing his flesh. He screamed as electricity surged through his body. Jaune grit his teeth in both annoyance and pain before he sent Distortion through his body to send the S and N of SSSN skidding back.

Jaune used the reprieve to switch his Semblance from Distortion to the temporary Semblance, Via Sun. His hair started to glow black and a black light copy of himself manifested next to him. That stunned the three still Standing members of SSSN. Jaune glared at Neptune before he charged him, while his clone charged at Scarlet. Scarlet's sword struck the clone's own blade but on contact, it exploded. Scarlet bounced off the ground a few times before he laid on the ground in a heap, barely conscious.

Jaune rapid fired the last three shots from his revolver before he holstered it. Neptune managed to barely defend himself with his weapon and before he could recover, Jaune was already on him with a flurry of slashes. Neptune was forced to slowly backtrack from the assault and he was feeling weaker from the vibrations being sent through him. Also, Jaune was still siphoning his aura because of their close proximity.

During that time, he missed Jaune shifting his sword to his left hand. Jaune knocked Neptune's weapon to the side with a backhanded swing before he drew Sommeil Eternel and fired. The bullet hit him in the chest, sending him back into the tree Jaune was in earlier and causing his aura to shatter along with dropping his weapon. He slumped against the tree and looked up at Jaune while in a daze.

Jaune just stared down at him before he turned to Sun, who was back on his feet. He had an angry yet determined look in his eyes. Jaune turned to him with his sword still in his left hand and his heavy revolver in his right. Jaune decided to give him one last chance. "You don't have to do this, Sun. I still consider you a friend and we can both walk away from this."

He just shook his head, "Its too late for that, Arc." His tone filled with rage.

Jaune glared at him, "It's Branwen, now."

The two stared at each other for a few seconds. A leaf from the tree fell between them and when it reached the ground, they took off. When they were halfway to each other, both created a clone in front of them and they charged forward. The clones met each other and exploded in a flash of yellow and black. The two charged through it and Tourmentage Tordu met Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang. Both were trying to overpower the other but with little success. They broke apart and attacked each other while holding nothing back. Staff strikes met sword slashes repeatedly with very few making it through the other's defenses.

Jaune aimed his heavy revolver at Sun but the Faunus used his tail to pull the hand away from him, missing the shot. Jaune tossed his gun into the air before he grabbed the tail around his wrist. He pulled and quickly caught Sun in the chin with a rising knee. Both released the other from the impromptu grapple and Sun flew backwards. He quickly backflipped back to his feet as Jaune caught his gun out of the air. He now had Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang in their gunchuck form. He reengaged the former blonde and fired a salvo of bullets with his strikes.

Luckily for Jaune, since he used the last of Via Sun, his Semblance defaulted back to Distortion. He quickly used it to deflect the bullets. Jaune holstered his gun and used Distortion to knock both weapons off his body. Jaune quickly held his sword two-handed and channeled his aura into the blade. He quickly slashed upwards with his sword and Sun had no way to defend himself. The blade bit into his aura and shattered it while leaving a cut across his chest.

Sun stumbled backwards before falling to the ground, but he still held onto his weapons. He just stared up to the sky, trying to find the strength to stand back up. His eyes shifted to his left as he saw Jaune kneel besides him. He had a sad look in his eyes, "I'm sorry, Sun. This wasn't personal." He then brought the pommel of his sword onto his forehead, knocking him out.

With Sun unconscious, Jaune sighed before he placed his hand on his chest. He quickly sent his aura into his body. It quickly started to follow the remains of his aura back to his soul. His whole body was quivering in pain due to Jaune's Negative aura entering his body. When Jaune's aura met Sun's soul, it started to slowly penetrate it. When that happened, Sun's back arched as a near silent scream escaped his mouth. He gave one final pull with is aura and Sun's body fell back to the ground.

Jaune took his hand away and in his palm appeared to be a black flame with a smaller yellow flame at its core. He closed his hand around it and closed his eyes, his aura shifted from black to yellow to black again. He opened his eyes and saw that Sun was breathing weakly, from his wound and what just happened to his soul. Without hesitating, Jaune raised his blade before he stabbed it through the Faunus' heart to end his suffering.

He removed his sword and wiped the blood away. He stood up but still looked down at him. He sighed, "Every war has deaths." He said to himself. He then pulled up his hood and placed his mask on his face. He turned away and was about to open a portal when he noticed that Neptune was looking at him in pure terror. He just look at him through his mask before he opened a portal and stepped through it, leaving the remains of SSSN broken.

* * *

 **A/N- Okay it has been entirely too long between updates and I apologize repeatedly for that. The reason this time was when I was working on the chapter, not this one but another, I realized that those events would fit better if I pushed it back a bit. So, I saved the partial chapter to work on later and had to come up with another chapter, completely from scratch. Plus, I had to rearrange a few plot points and events to make that decision work better. I hope you all understand, even though this has been happening more often that what I consider acceptable. With that, i apologize again and hope you'll all be patient with me. Hope you all enjoyed and I hope to see you all in the next update.  
**


	14. An Impossibility

Distortion

Jaune stepped through his portal and arrived on the outskirts of Higanbana. He proceeded to take off his mask and hid it in his coat. He then made his way into the village and went to the nearest inn. He need an extended period of time in a quiet and somewhat safe place to fully integrate Via Sun into his soul.

When he eventually arrived, he paid for a room and after getting the key, made his way to his room. He walked in to see that the room was smallish, with a bed, desk and a small bathroom off to the side. Jaune locked the door behind him and walked over to the desk. He took his sword from his back before he took off his coat and threw it on the desk. He then sat down on the floor in a meditative position, his sword sitting on his left, so he could draw it if need be. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breathes as he focused on his aura. After a few minutes he opened his eyes to see he was somewhere completely different.

He was now seated in a giant light grey colored space that stretched as far as his eyes could see. The whole space also had an ambient light even though there was no light source that could be seen anywhere. Jaune stood up from his sitting position and looked above him. There was a giant black sphere floating in the 'sky', like a small star. It looked like it was composed of black flames. There was also a smaller sphere of purple flames that seemed to orbit the larger sphere. This one seemed brighter, especially comparing it to the black it was revolving around. It was cover in a white translucent, nearly transparent, energy that lead back into the black sphere where it was absorbed into it.

Jaune focused and his entire form was covered in yellow flames. They then shot up into the air, like a pillar of fire. Once it reached high enough, the flames started to condense into a sphere as well. When it was done, the sphere was only about half the size of the violet one and about an eighth of the black one.

Jaune raised his hand to the black sphere and soon a dozen white tendrils erupted from it. They started to converge on the yellow sphere and wrapped around it, completely engulfing it. After a few minutes, the now white orb started to grow in size and as it did, the white started to become more and more translucent, revealing the golden flame sphere growing bigger and brighter. As that was happening, Jaune notice that the black flames were starting to travel up the tendril to the new orb. Jaune narrowed his eyes at them and they slowly started to retreat back into the black orb once again. With that done, he focused back on the job he was doing. He had to do that again once or twice more during this process and once the purple one started to glow brighter and expand before he but it back in check.

Once the sphere was the same size and brightness as the purple one and the white energy was nearly transparent, the effect started to travel down the remains of the tendrils, turning them translucent as well and turning them into a pathway. With that, the yellow orb started to revolve around the black one, just like its purple counterpart.

When the process was completed, he dropped his arm and smirked up at it. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he was letting it go, his mind was starting to be pulled away. When he opened his eyes, he was once again in his room in the inn. He looked over at his scroll and saw it was about an hour and a half later. If anyone was watching during that time, they would've seen his black aura manifest before shifting to yellow then back to black before fading away. That happened a few times and once, it shifted to purple before fading away.

Jaune then stretched his arms above his head, hearing a few pops from them and his back. He then stood up and stretched his legs. He looked out the window to see that it was now pouring rain. He picked up his scroll and called Raven. After a few rings, she picked up, "How did it go, Beloved?"

Jaune sighed, "They refused. I stole Sun's Semblance and killed him. The other members of his team were injured but alive."

Raven was quiet for a bit, "Regrettable. Even though you gaining more power is helpful, we still need more members."

"Yeah, we still have several spots that need to be filled. And I can't keep just absorbing Semblances. I can feel it more now. There is a limit." Jaune answered.

"How can you tell?" Raven asked.

"I'm using my Positive Aura to strengthen the pieces of the souls I've been stealing. It also prevents my Negative aura from absorbing them. But the more I absorb, the more my Positive aura gets spread out. If I have too many, my Negative aura will eventually overpower it and absorb the Semblance." Jaune explained to his wife.

"Hmmm." She hummed in thought, "How many more do you think you could absorb safely?"

Jaune thought for a few seconds, "Probably two. Maybe three if I'm lucky."

"Good to know." Raven replied. "So, where are you now?"

"Higanbana. I needed somewhere to rest and incorporate Via Sun into myself completely." He moved from the window and sat down on his bed. "I'm going to stay here for the night and head out tomorrow. There has been an increase in Grimm around Shion and I've heard that a neighboring village is having some problems. I'm going to go see what's happening and it'll give me a chance to get used to my new Semblance." He leant back on his other arm as he spoke again, "Still have two more uses of your Semblance, so I should be fine. How are things on your end?"

Raven sighed in annoyance, "Another dead-end."

"Damn. How many more leads do you have?" Jaune replied.

"Only a few. I might just start looking through the stolen information we have for any potential leads. Have you heard anything from that _woman_ we have in Vale?" Raven spoke the last part in an annoyed tone.

Jaune thought it was better to ignore that part and answered, "She's been going through all the contacts she still has but no luck. Once she's exhausted those…" he shrugged, "I don't know. We may want to have her infiltrate Beacon and get us some information."

"But then we'll lose our spy on Vale and Ozpin." She argued.

"True but she's been reporting the same thing since my resurgence. So, would we be losing much?" Jaune told her.

Here was a silence for a bit. Eventually, Raven answered him. "Let's wait. Until we have a greater need to remove her from Vale. I may not like her, but she does have her uses."

Jaune smirked, "See a knew you cared."

He could just imagine Raven glaring at him when she spoke up again, "She's part of our group, of course I care a _little_ bit about her." There was a slight pause. "Aaeron and I should get moving on. I need to let you go."

Jaune nodded, "Of course. You two stay safe."

"Same to you, Jaune." She replied and in a softer tone said, "I love you."

Jaune smiled, "I love you too." The call ended with that. Jaune relaxed for a bit before he went down to get some dinner. While he was eating, he heard a few of the other patrons talking about the usual happenings. But one thing caught his attention. People talking about 'the Beast' and the trail of blood he was leaving in his path. For some reason, that sounded familiar to him but couldn't recall why. He decided he'd look through the documents he received from Haven when he got back to Vytal, just to be sure. Once he was done eating, he went back to his room to turn in for the night.

The next morning, Jaune got up and had a quick shower. He went down to the main part of the inn to grab breakfast before heading out. When he was back to the outskirts of Higanbana, he drew his flamberge and slashed the air in front of him, creating his portal. He sheathed his blade before walking through the portal. He arrived in another part of Anima, this was where he came out when he was looking for the potential new recruit the day before. It was closer to the neighboring village than Shion, so he would be able to get his job done earlier.

A few hours later, Jaune was still making his way to the village. He was really enjoying the weather, it was a sunny day and the temperature was perfect in his opinion. It was days like these where he just wanted to take a load off and just relax. Although, killing Grimm would be a close second.

That's when he heard something in the distance and a faint rumbling. He listened closer to hear more rumbling along with the sounds of gunfire and explosions. It didn't sound like the sources were far, so he decided to see if he could sense any auras. After a second or two, he felt three familiar auras. His eyes widened before he hung his head and sighed, "You've got to be kidding me." He then took off in the direction of the battle.

* * *

Pyrrha Nikos was not having a good day. Her and her remaining teammates had arrived in Haven a week or two ago. They stayed there for a day or two to try and gather any potential information on Jaune and his appearances. They didn't get much but they learned that someone matching his description was spotted multiple times around the smaller villages of Anima.

With that information, they immediately headed out to try and find their wayward leader. The days of travel were hard. They ran into numerous Grimm on their way and had several close calls. Either at night while they were trying to sleep, and one was staying up for watch. Or even during the lulls of the day when they would attack out of seemingly nowhere. They had passed Shion village, or its remains, a few days back and had finally arrived at its neighboring village. They had worked out a deal with the mayor there. They would help them deal with the Geist that was causing problems nearby and they'd give them supplies they needed as payment. That lead them to tracking the Grimm down and eventually fighting the massive Petra Gigas in a forest clearing.

They were currently trying to out maneuver the beast and taking shots at it. Pyrrha was running around on the ground and taking shots with Milo. Nora was in the treetops, bombarding it with her grenades and Ren was parkouring through the tree and peppering it with StormFlower. Although, this was doing little, if anything to the Grimm.

Ren was now running along its limbs and trying to cut into it with his blades, but the stones making up its body resisted against them. As he jumped off of it, it brought its arm down and created a shockwave that knocked the team away. When they regained their footing, Nora lost it, "That is it!" she shouted as she charged forward. She shifted Magnhild to its warhammer form and jumped at it. It brought its fist up to counter her, but Nora managed to smash its arm. They couldn't celebrate for long, since it manipulated the rocks that broke off and send them flying at them.

Nora took a direct hit, while Pyrrha and Ren managed to get out of the way. They turned back in time to see the Grimm had used a nearby tree as a substitute for it missing arm. It started to lash out at its nearest target, which so happened to be the Mistralian Champion. She jumped back before charging forward and impaling Milo, in its xiphos form, into the arm.

The Geist raised said arm to stare at her and she replied by throwing Akouo at its eye. It worked but the beast lost its balance and toppled backwards, effectively pinning her under the tree she had been holding onto. Along with her weapon coming free and flipping through the air and away from her. Pyrrha had the air knocked out of her and when she recovered, was trying with all her might to get the log off of her. She was starting to panic since the Grimm was coming out of its daze. "Pyrrha, you need to get out of there!" Nora shouted, too afraid to fire with her teammate like that.

Eventually, the Geist managed to get into a somewhat kneeling position and looked down to see it had one of them pinned. It stared down at her as Pyrrha's eyes widened. It brought its stone arm up and started to bring it down. Pyrrha snapped her eyes shut and threw her arms over her head to protect herself. She could try to recall her shield or weapon, but her Polarity wouldn't work in time. 'Is this it? Is this how I die? I'm sorry, Ren, Nora. I'm sorry… Jaune.'

Pyrrha waited for what felt like an eternity, but the pain never came. She slowly opened her eyes to see that the stone arm had stopped a few feet above her. She saw that the Gigas was trying to bring it down, but the arm was coated in a black aura. That's when a familiar voice spoke up and it all clicked. "You know, you guys are making a real habit of this."

She turned to her left to see that Jaune was standing behind her. His left hand was out, and it was coated in his black aura. Shocked green met cold blue before Jaune turned his attention back to the Grimm in front of him. He slowly started to close his hand and as that was happening, the rock arm was cracking severally. When he finally closed his fist, the rock arm shattered into dozens of pieces. He flung his hand towards the Grimm's face and the rocks shot up at it. The projectiles hit the entire torso and damaged it severally. Causing it to stumble back and off Pyrrha. With that, she sat up and managed to breathe easily again.

Jaune slowly started to walk in front of her, "Damn. I missed." He said, annoyed.

Pyrrha just stared at his back as he looked over at the Grimm. That was until Nora came over and nearly tackled her to the ground again. "Oh my Oum, Pyrrha, don't scare me like that again!" she shouted as she hugged the champion. Ren stopped a foot of so behind her and was watching Jaune. Nora slowly turned her attention to the man clad in black, "Jaune?"

"Yeah, its me." He said without turning around. "And don't get the wrong idea. I came out here to kill that Grimm and to test out my new abilities. Saving Pyrrha was just fulfilling my debt." Pyrrha started to shake and her eyes started to become misty. "Now, stay out of my way." With that his hair started to glow black and with two flashes of black, two black light copies of him were standing on either side of him. They all just stared on in shock. "I can't guarantee your safety." He drew his blade and the three of 'him' charged at the Grimm.

The Grimm was up on its feet by that point and had another tree to replace its missing arm. It looked towards the new enemies heading towards it and raise its new arm above its head. Jaune kept charging forward as one clone grabbed the other's arm. It spun and threw it towards it. The clone flew through the air and aimed a shoulder at the tree for an impromptu shoulder charge. As it hit the tree, the clone exploded and knocked the arm to the side.

Jaune kept charging forward and leapt towards the Grimm's face. By chance or on purpose, the Geist brought the other arm to swing at him. Jaune stabbed Tourmentage Tordu into the tree arm and braced himself on it. That's when his other clone got in position and leapt at its 'stomach', resulting in another explosion and sending it off balance. It threw its arm in the air and Jaune flew off it and higher up still.

He used this to his advantage by using his left hand to pull his sheathe off his back. He quickly sheathed his sword into it and hit a switch at the cross guard. The sheathe started to deploy into its shield form but stopped halfway, just enough for the sharpened edges to come out. The two sides extended forward until they were a third of the way up the sheathe before they combined together. This new greatsword was now twice as wide from the cross guard up to a third of the blade. Meanwhile, the other two thirds were four times as wide and had a blood red edge. The rest of the blade was pure black. This was the last weapon in his arsenal, it was simply called Haine.

When his sword was ready, Jaune's hair started to glow again and another clone was formed right above him. The clone crossed his arms in front of his chest and Jaune planted his feet there. Jaune channeled aura into his legs as he kicked off it. He rocked forward with his sword held with two hands. As he neared the massive Grimm, it brought one arm across its mask to protect itself. Jaune brought Haine down. With the speed he was traveling, gravity, weight of the greatsword plus Jaune's strength, he cleaved through the tree. Although, it did offer enough resistance to send Jaune slightly off, so he stabbed into the body and missed the mask by a few feet.

The Geist started to stand again, so Jaune quickly jumped off it. When he landed, he turned around too see it getting ready to smash him with its remaining arm. Jaune was preparing to attack but just then, a pink explosion engulfed it and took a decent chunk out of the wood. It was then pelted with a salvo of bullets, so it used its broken arms to protect itself. Jaune turned to see his former team firing at it. "I told you to stay back." He said in frustration and annoyance.

"We are not going to let you fight this thing alone, Jaune." Pyrrha said in determination.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm not alone." With that, his clone landed on the top of the Geist's head. It was wielding a copy of Haine and it drove it directly into the mask before it exploded. The Petra Gigas started to fall apart. When the rock that was serving as the body fell to the ground, the Geist pulled itself from it as is screeched and turned to smoke. Jaune turned from the kill back to his ex-team. "Case and point." He then turned away and was about to walk away.

"Jaune, wait!" Pyrrha yelled to him.

He stopped and sighed, "Are we really going to have this conversation for the third time?" he asked rhetorically. "Let me guess: you three are sorry, you care about me, you want to help me. Right?" He turned back to them, "I'm going to say this for the _last_ time." "I don't care that you're sorry. I don't believe you care about me at all. And the last thing I need is to be saved." He just stared them down, "Now, with that done, good bye."

He turned back around and Haine condensed back down to be a sword in a sheathe. Jaune was about to take the sheathe in his left hand to draw his sword when he felt a force restricting his movements. He was confused for a second or two, until he figured that it was only part of his body that had metal on it. He swapped his Semblance over to Telekinesis and he focused on the aura behind him. He heard a gasp and his body was back to normal. He turned around to see Pyrrha being held ten feet up in the air by his Semblance. "Try that again and I'll do more than lift you in the air. You saw what I did to that Grimm, right?" With that he dropped her, but Nora caught her. He started to walk away as he drew his sword. He brought his arm back to create a portal to leave.

Pyrrha saw this and quickly scrambled out of Nora's arms and to her feet. "Jaune, wait. Please, just look at this." She quickly pulled out a small bracelet that was tucked into the sash at her side. She held it out to him with it dangling from her hand. It was a small silver chain with inch by inch, silver dual crescents. It was Jaune's emblem.

Jaune looked over his shoulder to see what she was holding. He stopped his swing and put his right arm down. He attached his sheathe to his back before pulling the bracelet to his left hand with Telekinesis. He just held it in his open palm as he looked down at it with an unreadable expression on his face.

Pyrrha didn't know what was going through his head but couldn't let this chance slip by. "I made that bracelet from some of the blade of Crocea Mors, before we sent it back to your family. I wanted to always have a piece of you with me." She looked down slightly and brought her left hand up to her chest. "Losing you was the hardest thing I ever had to go through. I didn't think I could do it." She looked back over to him, "But having that helped me. It made every day just bearable. Because it felt like you were still with me, in some way."

Jaune didn't move. He just kept looking down at the bracelet. He then clenched his fist before tossing it back to her. She caught it without taking her eyes off him. "So, you kept a piece of that junk. So what? No matter what you say or what you held onto, it's all for nothing." He glared at her, completely forgetting about Ren and Nora. "Jaune Arc is gone. He's _never_ coming back."

Pyrrha grit her teeth as her eyes started to tear up as she shouted, "Why do you have to be so stubborn!? I screwed up, I know that! But I love you, I've loved you longer than you probably know! The man I love is still in you, I just know it! So, please, come back to me." She finished weakly as her tears began to fall.

Jaune just looked at her as an almost sad look came to his eyes before he buried it. He impaled his sword into the ground then he pulled off his left glove. He then showed his tattoo on his ring finger to her. "I can't come back. Everything that had anything to do with Jaune Arc, I have cut loose because that's all in the past. I will not look back. I am Jaune Branwen. Husband of Raven Branwen, Leader of the Branwen Tribe, Leader of Knightingale. And we will bring Revolution to this world. Any who stand in our way will only meet pain and death."

With that, Pyrrha finally broke down completely and fell to her knees. She barely registered Jaune putting the glove back on and drawing his sword again. Or that Ren and Nora were trying to comfort her. She only came back to reality when she heard the distinct sound of him opening a portal. She looked back up to see him sheathing his flamberge once again. He looked over his shoulder at her and he had a look in his eyes. Was it sadness? Apologetic? Loss? She couldn't tell because he turned around and started to walk through his portal.

That's when something snapped inside of her. This would be the third time this would happen. The third time she let him walk away. She was supposed to be his partner. But here she was just letting him walk away. She gripped the bracelet in her hand tighter before she pushed herself to her feet again. She took off towards the portal using her aura to push her faster and faster as the portal kept growing smaller. She ignored Nora calling out to her as she lunged towards the portal and just made it. Leaving her teammates behind.

* * *

She tumbled forward but quickly rolled into a kneeling position. She quickly took in her surroundings to find that she was in another forest clearing. But this forest was different. The trees had darker bark and dead leaves hanging from them. The canopy above blocked out the sun completely making it pitch black. But most of all, it just felt colder. Like all the warmth of the world was sucked away.

Once her eyes adjusted to the lack of light, she started to look around for Jaune. She stopped when she heard a blade being drawn and before she could move, she felt it laid on the side of her neck. She froze with that. Then Jaune started to speak from behind her as she was still kneeling. "So, you followed me. I can't tell if you're being brave or stupid. Maybe both but definitely stubborn."

She didn't say a word or even move. She could try to use her Semblance, but she knew Jaune had a gun or two on him. If she did, she'd be shot, and she didn't know how much power they had behind them. So, she opted to wait and see what would happen next. "You know I could kill you. So, why would you follow me?"

She steeled herself, "If you were going to kill me, you would've done so already. As much as you have changed, you still won't kill me because the jaune I know is still in there. And I won't let you get away again."

There was a silence before she heard him sigh, "So, your trying to prove your point. You want me to believe you . Unbelievable." She felt him remove his blade from her throat and she let go of the breath she was holding. "Fine, if that is what you want, then proof it. Stand." The last part was a command and she slowly rose to her feet.

She turned around to see him sheathing his blade. As soon as he did, his black aura erupted from his body, like a black inferno. She took a few steps back just before his aura faded. That's when he jumped into the air and onto one of the tallest tree's branches. He stood there and stared down at her confused form. "This forest is very similar to the Emerald Forest in Vale. The people of Mistral have called it Jaaku no mori, the Forest of the Damned. It is swarming with Grimm and my aura has acted like a beacon for them."

Her eyes widened as she drew Akouo and Milo in its xiphos form. She started to hear growling and could see the red eyes coming from the trees. Grimm started to saunter into the clearing and towards her. "Prove to me your resolve, Pyrrha. By surviving the same Hell I went through to make myself the real me!" With that the first Grimm lunged forward. She blocked it with her shield before she impaled the Beowolf in the throat killing it. She jumped back while shifting it into its rifle form and started to fire on more of the pack.

* * *

Pyrrha was breathing raggedly, her arms and legs were shaking from fatigue. She had been fighting for an hour, maybe two against an almost endless horde of Grimm. She had been pushed to her brink, her ammo was running low and her aura was definitely in the red now. It was bad when Alpha Beowolves would show up, but now she was dealing with a Beringel, which were known for their ferocity and endurance. It would've caught her with how exhausted she was. Luckily, she was using her Polarity to control her armor and get her out of tricky situations. But she couldn't keep it up forever.

She was still facing the Beringel while they were surrounded by Beowolves. None of them moved an inch, in fear of angering the more powerful Grimm. Her eyes slowly moved over to Jaune, still standing in the tree branches. He hadn't moved at all. He just stood there watching her. She had a close call or two and she had expected him to help her. But he didn't. He was adamant on her proving her point to him and until she did, she would get nothing from him.

She turned back to her opponent. She was nearly spent, and the more time went on, the more of her negative emotions started to bubble up. That was just attracting more Grimm. 'Maybe I should just give up.' She started to think to herself. 'I can't keep going and if I don't get away from here…I'll die.'

She quickly shook her head and her eyes hardened. 'No. I won't die here. I will succeed, no matter what.' She felt a chill wrap around her body for a second before she shouted and charged into battle once again. But strangely, her aura felt stronger for a second.

That caught Jaune's attention, his whole body tensed for a few seconds. Pyrrha looked like she was about to give up but when her resolve came back her aura acted up. He had come across a lot of auras since unlocking his Negative aura and he had found that all auras were warm and bright. Every persons 'felt' different, some were warm while others were burning. Just like their brightness, some were practically beacons while others were tamer. But Pyrrha's felt different there. It felt cold. And he only knew of one way that was possible. "That can't be the case." He said to himself while watching her more attentively now.

He came back from his thoughts when he heard a scream. He saw Pyrrha go flying into a tree from a punch, courtesy of the Beringel. Her aura shattered, and she fell to the ground. She somehow held onto her consciousness and just barely rolled out of the way of the Grimm coming down with a fist, splitting the tree. She used whatever strength she had left to force herself to stand. Her eyes looked almost broken, but the cold feeling was growing stronger.

Jaune leant forward in interest. "It is." he said just above a whisper. But if that was the case, "Is that all you can do, Pyrrha?" he taunted her. She looked over at him and she looked like she was about to pass out. "I thought you were going to prove your resolve to me. If this is all you have, well, I guess I was right abut you. You never loved me." He said coldly.

She quickly shook her head and almost fellas she stumbled to the side. It was lucky she did because a Beowolf went to slash at her. Her falling slightly made it miss. She turned to it as it raised its claws again. That was until the Beringel roared and stared at the Beowolf. It lowered its claws and head and began to whimper.

Pyrrha took this chance to look back to Jaune, "Well, if I'm wrong…" he pointed to the Beringel, "Kill that Grimm. If you can do that in your condition, it'll be more than enough proof."

She turned to the Grimm slowly walking towards her. 'I just need to kill it? Then Jaune will believe me?' she tried to take a step, but her legs wouldn't move. 'But how? My body won't move anymore. Why? I'm so close. Its within my reach now.' Her eyes started to water, and the Grimm became more frantic, feeling her negative emotions coming up more. Her sorrow started to dissipate, and two emotions took its place. Anger and hatred. She grits her teeth, 'If it wasn't for this Grimm, I would have Jaune. He'd be back in my life. But it keeps standing in my way. These Grimm do nothing but make life Hell. They should all just die!'

With that thought, her whole body felt a surge of energy run through it. But it was so cold. Like she just fell into a frozen lake. She dropped her weapons and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to be warm. That's when the pain started to surge through her. She raised her head to the sky and screamed in pain. He body felt like it was about to freeze solid, while every nerve in her body felt like millions of volts were surging through it. By contrast her blood felt like it was boiling. Her whole body felt like it was falling apart. On top of that her very soul felt like it was at war with itself. Something felt like it was going to erupt from the deepest depths of it and she wasn't sure her soul could take it.

The Grimm looked like they were going to pounce but the coldness that seemed to radiate from her, caused them to pause at this new sensation. As the coldness increased, somehow Pyrrha's aura returned and gave her the appearance of red flames radiating from her. But soon the flames started to shift to a darker shade of red. Blood red. As that was happening, Pyrrha had stopped screaming but her hair was changing. From her ears, two streaks of black raced to the back of her hair and down the length of her ponytail. With that, her aura died down and her arms dropped to her sides as her head was still raised.

Meanwhile, Jaune had watched the entire thing. He was just shocked beyond all belief, his jaw nearly on the ground and his eyes wide. He soon closed his mouth into a grin and a weak chuckle came from his lips. "I can't believe it. She did it." His voice still holding disbelief but he couldn't deny what he witnessed and felt.

The Beringel snorted and took another step forward. That was when Akouo shot off the ground and smashed into its head. Its head whipped back before it whipped back and screamed at her. Akouo was covered in a black aura of her Polarity and came back to Pyrrha's outstretched arm as Milo shot up from the ground into her other hand. Her head lowered, and she stared down the Grimm with a cold, hard stare. "Pyrrha unlocked her Negative aura."

* * *

 **A/N- Well, I wonder how many of you saw that coming. Now the question is, what will happen next. You'll have to wait and see. As always, Jauneforever was a legend and Beta Read this chapter, so go show him some love. Hope you all enjoyed and I'll see ya in the next update.  
**


	15. Negative Aura

Distortion

Pyrrha just glared at the Beringel in front of her. She couldn't explain it but she felt reinvigorated, like she had ice water poured over her. Her arms and legs were no longer shaking from exhaustion and her aura was back somehow. She would usually question this but her mind was more focused on the rage and hatred she held towards the Grimm in front of her. And she was going to kill it.

The beast pounded on its chest with a scream before it lumbered at her at full speed. Without a word, Pyrrha charged to meet it. It lunged forward, trying to grab her. She quickly slid on her knees under the outstretched arm. Milo quickly shifting from xiphos to its javelin form. From her kneeling position, she released her weapon with a discharge and it buried deeply into its armpit. The head of it stuck out of its shoulder afterwards.

The Grimm screamed in pain as it landed on the ground, nearly falling because its right arm was now useless. Pyrrha spun and got back to her feet. She reached for her weapon with her Polarity and with a pull of her arm, it ripped through the Beringel's arm and to her hand. Its arm was now barely connected to its body as he screamed and stared her down with unbridled fury. Pyrrha just met it with a cold and hardened glare.

Jaune just watched on. Still in disbelief but the longer this fight went on, the more and more it confirmed it for him. Pyrrha was always an amazing fighter but even against the Grimm, she fought both gracefully and honorably. That maneuver she just pulled was nothing short of brutal and savage. But that was part of Negative Aura. It brings up more of the person's negative emotions and amplifies them. Until it was mastered, then the person would act similar to how they were before the awakening. Seeing her do that, that was just proof of her actually awakening her Negative Aura.

Pyrrha didn't hesitate to charge at her prey. Throwing Akouo with all her strength and her Polarity. It slammed into the jaw of the Grimm, whipping its head back. She recalled it as she shifted her javelin into its rifle and firing three shots into its right knee. It tried to scream at her yet again but its jaw was dislocated from the shield throw. It threw its left fist at her but she was ready.

She pulled her shield to the side of the fist and quickly spun her body clockwise. The shield took the brunt of the hit but the spin helped to disperse the force behind it. At the end of her spin, she slammed the edge of Akouo into the inner forearm of the beast and allowed her to stab Milo, in its xiphos form into its untouched leg's thigh. The Grimm tried to rip its arm free from the shield or maybe it was trying to toss her away from it. Either way, it failed.

Pyrrha detached Akouo from her bracer as it threw its arm to the side. She then stepped forward while dislodging Milo and shifting back into its javelin form. She angled the blade with practiced ease and discharged it one last time. Lodging it into the Beringel's throat. The beast just stared down at her in the closest thing to shock as a Grimm could muster. She just looked back with a cold gaze as the red light left its eyes and the corpse started to evaporate. Her shield hit the ground with loud clang as it did.

Her arms fell to her sides as she started to breathe raggedly. The sudden rush from her Negative aura was gone and her body's exhaustion was returning with a vengeance. Her eyes started to droop but they soon widened when she started to register the growls from around her. She slowly looked around to see the Beowolves slowly closing in on her. She tried to raise her arms but they just refused. Her legs were shaking so badly that she wasn't even sure how she was still standing.

Sensing her weakness, a Beowolf lunged at her. She didn't even have time to close her eyes before the Grimm stopped in midair for a split second. It then slammed into the ground with an audible crack from the beast. She looked down at it in shock before looking around to see all the Grimm frozen in place while a black aura covered them. Her confusion gave way to understanding and she turned to see Jaune still standing in the tree branches with his hand extended and covered in the same aura. The most notable thing was the grin on his face.

He clenched his fist and the sounds of breaking bones filled the air. She looked to see that all the Beowolves had broken necks and were starting to evaporate. She sighed in relief and turned back in time to see Jaune jump from the branches and land on the ground in front of her. She smiled at him and spoke tiredly, "Jaune…" That was all she was able to say as the tension left her body and she fell into unconsciousness.

Jaune saw as she started to fall forward and he effortlessly caught her in his arms. He looked down to see that she was sleeping. He couldn't help the grin still on his face. But now came a more important question: What to do with her now?

After a minute or so, he came to a decision and sighed. He moved her into a bridal carry. He then used his Telekinesis to pull his scroll out and into his hand. He dialed Raven and held it up to his ear. After a few rings, she answered, "Jaune, what is it? We're in the middle of something."

"I know and I'm sorry but this is important. There has been an unseen development." He said before continuing more seriously, "I need everyone back at Vytal, immediately."

There was a silence on Raven's end, "This must be something big then. We'll head back now and I'll inform the others. Do you need a portal?"

He nodded, "Yeah, I'm out."

"Alright. See you soon, Love." She said before hanging up. Jaune used his Semblance to pocket his scroll. Shortly after that, Raven's portal opened to him. He looked down at Pyrrha's weapons before shrugging. He used his Telekinesis to levitate them and walked through the portal, leaving Jaaku no mori behind.

As he walked through, he saw that they were in one of the training rooms in their headquarters. Raven and Aaeron were waiting for them. Both had shocked expressions when they saw that Jaune wasn't alone. Aaeron was the first to recover, "What the hell is she doing here?" he gestured to the unconscious Pyrrha in his arms. "This place is supposed to be a secret and you just bring her here!" he said angrily.

Jaune just gave him a very even glare as the temperature around them dropped significantly. "She's here because I decided she needed to be. And we will be discussing this once everyone is here. Am I clear, Aaeron?"

Aaeron jus stared at Jaune. The cold tone he was speaking in made it clear that this was something to not question him on. And if you did, you wouldn't be as whole as you were before. Aaeron slowly nodded to his leader. Jaune just turned away, "Good. Meet me in the conference room when everyone gets here." With that, he walked away and into the locker room that they stored their weapons in. He deposited both his sword and guns before moving to one of the many vacant ones and doing the same with Milo and Akouo. It wouldn't be smart to leave Pyrrha with her weapons if she woke up before he thought she would.

He then left the locker room and made his way to one of the free bedrooms they had. He entered and turned the lights on. He made his way over to the bed and gently laid the Mistralian champion down. She had a peaceful expression on her face that he grinned at. He then made his way over to the door and dimmed the lights to help her rest. He then walked out and locked the door with his scroll as a precaution if she woke up while he was gone. He doubted she would though. He was out for several hours after awakening his Negative aura but that could've also been due to his injuries. But it never hurt to be cautious.

With that done, he made his way to the conference room. It was a large room with a long table in the center and many screens lining the walls. The table was big enough to sit twenty people at it. Jaune made his way to the chair at the head of the table, completely opposite of the door. He sat down and placed his mask in front of him. It was a custom in the Branwen tribe. When the holders of the masks placed theirs in front of them like he was, it symbolized that only other mask holders were allowed in the meeting. It also was to show the severity of the issues they would be discussing. With that done, he leant back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. He closed his eyes and waited.

Several minutes later, the door opened for Raven, Gil, Aaeron and Onyx to walk in. They saw the mask in front of him and all grew more serious. They all took their seats and laid their own masks in front of them. Raven was on his right with Aaeron sitting in the chair next to her. While Gil was on Jaune's left with Onyx sitting next to him. Raven spoke up once they were all seated, "I didn't call the other's. I didn't want to put their missions in jeopardy."

Jaune nodded at that but stayed silent. After a few seconds, he started to speak, "Just so everyone is on the same page, Pyrrha Nikos is resting in one of the spare rooms here."

That earned a few shocked looks from Gil and Onyx. It was the latter who spoke up, "So, what? Is she joining Knightingale?"

"I'll be damned." Aaeron spoke next. "As much as I respect you, Jaune, she betrayed you before. There is no telling if she'll do it again."

"Plus, she has been watched by Ozpin thoroughly if our informant is right. She could already be in his back pocket." Raven added calmly. As this was going on, Gil was just watching Jaune. Waiting for him to elaborate more as the others argued on. Or more precisely, Aaeron and Onyx were.

Jaune decided it was a good a time as any to drop the bomb on all of them. "Pyrrha has awakened Negative aura."

The room became silent instantly. He looked at them and saw they were all staring at him in shock. Aaeron and Onyx were both looking at him with their jaws dropped. Raven and Gil both went wide eyed with Gil's mouth opening and closing trying to make words. Finally, he managed to get them out, "Are you sure?" Jaune just gave him a deadpan expression. Gil then held up his hand, "Okay, dumb question. But how? Others have tried and have always wound up dead."

Jaune nodded, "True. I can't be certain, since I'm still figuring this out on my own. But with Pyrrha's awakening, it gives me a few ideas. And I may now have a better idea on how one awakens Negative aura."

"And what is it, Love?" Raven asked. Looking at him in intrigue.

"Negative aura doesn't just show up. It makes sense that it exists deep within one's soul, buried under all their Positive aura. The more negative emotions you feel, the stronger it becomes. I think that goes for it being awakened and not. But only people like me and Pyrrha can even have a chance of awakening it because we've experienced so much negativity throughout our lives. That has made our Negative aura strong enough and large enough to take the place of our Positive aura."

"I was considered the weakest Arc and was always in the shadow of my sisters and family name. That gave me some severe self-hatred over the years from not being 'good enough'. And going to Beacon, where I was in many other shadows and couldn't even compare to them. Well, it's no shock that my Negative reserves are so vast. Meanwhile, Pyrrha's fame and skills had people placing her on a pedestal. That isolation and having people trying to use her for their own advantage was enough to build up her own reserves over the years."

"But just having the reserves, doesn't guarantee that someone will just awaken it. But there are many similarities between mine and Pyrrha's awakenings." Jaune said before he took a small breather from his explanation.

"And what are they exactly?" Onyx asked. Would make sense; out of everyone her, he was most curious about Negative aura.

"Well first, both our Positive auras were shattered. Positive and Negative can't occupy the same space at once, that's just nature. We both also had an extreme need for that power. A near death situation would probably be the most realistic reason to awaken Negative aura. And finally, an emotional trigger, like rage or hatred."

"If that's the case, why haven't more Huntsmen or bandits unlocked it at this point?" Aaeron asked. "It's not that crazy for negative emotions to come up when facing death."

Jaune just shook his head, "It's not that simple. Negative aura is pretty much the manifestation of every evil of that person. When it awakens, all the worst parts of you, of your soul, are on display to you. And to use it, you must fully accept it, the worst parts of yourself, and to gain strength from them. Most people can't accept their flaws or mistakes and prefer to ignore or bury them. So, accepting them is something most people can't simply do. Accepting Negative aura isn't a conscience decision, its an instinctual one. So, if you even have to think about it, you've already failed."

He looked up at the ceiling as he continued, "Plus, I wouldn't recommend anyone that is the equivalent of a full-fledged Huntsman or Huntress awakening their Negative aura. The two may have similarities but they are very different. The only reason I was able to do it was because my aura control was poor to begin with. I don't know how difficult it would be for anyone else. Trying to fully master it after being so in tune with Positive aura…it could be disastrous. If not flat out deadly." After that, there was an extended silence as Jaune stared down at the table in front of him.

"So what are we going to do now?" Gil asked and Jaune turned to him. "What are we going to do with Miss Nikos?"

Jaune sighed, "I honestly don't know. We can't exactly let her go back to Beacon. If Ozpin finds out about her Negative aura, it'll give them some insight on my abilities and could put you all in danger." They gave him quizzical looks. "Your auras may've been empowered by my Negative aura but they still will be absorbed by Negative aura all the same."

"That is if she masters it." Aaeron added.

Jaune chuckled with that, "Pyrrha will have no trouble there. Her skills as a champion and Huntress are not exaggerated. It may take time but she'll find a way to master her Negative aura. One way or another."

"What if she joined us?" Onyx added and as everyone looked to him, he continued, "Jaune just said it, she's a skilled fighter. Plus with her having Negative aura and him teaching her the ins and outs of it, she'd be that much stronger. It seems like a win-win to me."

"That's _if_ we can trust her." Aaeron added once again. "Yeah, she's strong but giving her so much so soon could be detrimental to us. She betrayed you once before Jaune, that's more than enough. We may be better off cutting any loose ends."

Jaune sighed and looked up at the ceiling with a conflicted expression, "I'm not so sure she did anymore."

"What do you mean?' Gil asked. Jaune always held those seven in contempt but something had changed. That was something that couldn't be ignored.

He ran a hand down his face before he continued, "To prove to me that she wasn't lying, I had her fight Grimm in Jakku no mori. The way she fought them, just got to me. She was on her last legs when a Beringel showed up. She was about to give up but I sensed the beginnings of her Negative aura shifting to the surface. I told her if she killed the Beringel and win in her condition, I'd believe her. It wasn't until then that her Negative aura awakened. Her wanting to prove herself to me was the trigger. Saving her own life or stopping me was a part of it. But me believing her was much more."

He sighed one last time, "Look, I could just order you all around but this concerns all of us. So, we'll leave it to a vote. I will abstain while Onyx and Aaeron have made their choice clear. So, what do you two say?" He looked to Gil, "Do we allow her into Knightingale?" He then turned to Raven, "Or do we kill her?"

There was a silence as the two contemplated. Gil was looking up and stroking his beard while Raven had her arms crossed and looked down at the table. Gil turned to him and voiced his choice, "Ever since we met, you've been adamant on your opinion of her. But now, you're beginning to doubt that. Maybe you were wrong or maybe she has changed. Either way, this is something you need to learn about to find some kind of peace and to move on fully. To make yourself better. I vote to allow her in."

Jaune nodded at him and turned to his wife, "Raven?"

She looked at him while her one finger tapped against her bicep. She sighed, "We need more people but they need to be people we trust. I suggest we allow her in but not as a full member. We won't tell her about our plan. Train her and test her. If she shows promise, we can have her swear loyalty to us. If not, we will do what must be done. That is what I choose."

Everyone just looked at her while Jaune smirked, "Leave it to you to find the third and best answer." He turned to the rest, "Is everyone in agreeance?" They all nodded, "Okay then we've reached an agreement. Now, could you three leave the room? I want to talk with my wife."

The three nodded before picking up their masks and leaving. When the door closed he turned to his wife, "You sure about this?" She was about to speak but he cut her off, "I can sense your emotions, remember?"

She closed her mouth and gave a huff. She looked away as she answered, "This is a risk. But it may very well pull through and help us out in the long run."

"So, what's with the steady annoyance I'm feeling?" he cocked an eyebrow while saying that.

"Because every women we allow in , seems to want to sleep with you." She said quietly.

Jaune heard this and his eyes went wide. That was before a smirk came across his face, "Oh my Oum. You're worried about losing me to Pyrrha."

She turned back to him with a glare, "I am not." She said with finality but the blush she had took so much away from it.

He started to chuckle, "You totally are." She was about to yell at him but his next comment stopped her. "You're absolutely gorgeous but when you blush, it just makes you adorable." Her blush deepened slightly and she turned away with a huff.

He gently placed his fingers on her chin and turned her to face him. He kissed her lovingly and after a few seconds, she returned the pressure. They pulled away and his blues just stared into her reds. "There is nothing for you to worry about, Beloved." He took her hand and laid it over his heart. He gave her some time to let her feel the steady rhythm of it beating. "This is only for you. As is my body, mind and soul. I'm not going anywhere."

She smiled at him and kissed him again. When they separated, she placed her forehead on his, "I love you, Jaune."

He smiled back, "I love you too, Raven."

* * *

A few hours later, Jaune was making his way back to the room he let Pyrrha rest in. After their meeting, they all discussed what their next move should be. Raven and Aaeron decided to rest for the remainder of the day before setting back out on their search. Onyx and Gil were going to take a few days before going back out. No one argued, the longer they kept their connection to Knightingale, the better. Jaune decided to stay and start training Pyrrha, if she agreed that is.

Jaune unlocked the door and peaked inside. She was still sleeping peacefully. He grinned and walked into the room. He closed the door and sat down at the desk in the room, which was across the room from her. He went through his scroll for a bit. He started to look through the Mistral files once again, looking for any mention of 'the Beast' he overheard in Higanbana. After almost an hour, he found it.

His name is Valter Moonstone, he was once part of a special militia in Mistral. He eventually was fired by person in charge of said militia for the mistreatment of innocents and even slaughtering of surrendering opponents. He responded by killing his ex-superior and three others that tried to stop him. Since then he has been on Mistral's highest watchlist. He was soon known as the Beast, which just seems to throw him into a fury when he hears it.

Jaune started to contemplate on what to do with this information. Should he try to offer this man a position in Knightingale? He was pulled from his thoughts as he heard Pyrrha groan and shift on the bed. He turned to her and pocketed his scroll. He watched as she slowly awoke and sat up. She looked around with drowsy eyes before they landed on Jaune. They widened to almost comical proportions as he smirked at her, "I take it you rested well."

That seemed to snap her out of her shock, "Jaune? Is this real?"

He raised an eyebrow, "If you mean, you are alive and with me in a bedroom in a secret facility in an unknown location to you, yes."

She looked around slightly, "Why…am I here?"

"A few reasons. But first and foremost, I have a proposition for you." He leant forward in his seat and took on a serious look, "What would you think if I told you that there as been a war going on for millennia?"

She raised an eyebrow slightly in confusion, "You mean the one with the Grimm?" She asked, unsure on what to say.

Jaune tilted his head back and forth, "You're not exactly wrong, but there is more to it." He took a breath before he continued, "The Grimm have a mastermind. Her name is Salem." From there, he told her about the war between Salem and Ozpin. The truth about the relics, the Huntsmen Academies and the Maidens. To say Pyrrha was shocked was an understatement. She just kept staring ta him, mouth agape. Jaune just looked at her for a bit, "Take your time to process, Pyrrha. It's a lot to take in."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes she asked him one question, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because that is the point of my organization, Knightingale. The war is at a standstill but Salem will eventually win if things stay the same. Salem has more power, soldiers and time than our side could ever have. She'll eventually find a way to claim all the relics. That is unless we stop her first."

That shocked her more, "How?"

Jaune looked at the door for a second before turning back to her, "Raven and I have found a way to turn the tide to our favor. But we are missing crucial factors. One of them are people we can trust."

"And you want me to be one of them?" she asked unsure.

Jaune nodded, "You were once my partner, Pyrrha. I would like to trust you again. And you've done something that has made me think it could be a real possibility."

That made her stomach flip. Did she hear him right? He was starting to believe in her again? "You mean me killing those Grimm?"

He shook his head, "No. But what you did _to_ kill those Grimm, specifically the Beringel, is what I'm talking about."

She was confused and thought back. She remembered being exhausted and sad. Then she was angry and full of hatred for the Grimm. Then that dark and cold… energy just appeared. She shivered at the memory. Her eyes widened and she looked to Jaune. "That power."

Jaune nodded, "That 'power' is something _very_ rare and you having it is a major game changer." Before she could ask, he stood from his chair and looked at her with a serious look in his eye. "You have a choice now, Pyrrha. You can go back to Beacon, or even Ren and Nora, and do whatever you like. Or you can stay here and help us end this damned war. The choice is yours." Is was better not to mention that if she didn't agree, Raven or more likely Aaeron, would kill her. He didn't want that to influence her decision.

She looked down in thought. Could she stay here? She was worried for Ren and Nora. Plus, she didn't set out to join Jaune but she wanted to save him. But…did he really need to be saved? He was trying to fight a war, a war few knew about. And those that did, weren't doing anything and were content to keep doing so. He was doing what he had to because Ozpin wasn't going to and he went far enough to send others to try and stop Jaune. She clenched her fists with that thought.

Pyrrha wouldn't usually have these thoughts but her Negative aura was amplifying them without her knowledge. And more specifically, a very selfish part of her was being magnified. That part saying one thing: I want Jaune back. I want to be by his side. With that she looked up at him with determination. "I want to fight. I want to stop Salem." She said with full conviction. 'I want to fight by you.' She added in her head with the same conviction.

Jaune searched her eyes for any dishonesty but found none. He walked over to her and held out his hand. She quickly took it and both squeezed hard. "You swear to follow every order I give you? To never question me?"

She nodded, "I swear on my life."

He nodded in return, "Good. Then we have work to do." He let go of her hand and walked to the door. It opened to reveal Raven. Pyrrha flinched slightly at her sudden appearance. Jaune turned back to her with a smirk, "I'm going to show you what Negative aura can do."

* * *

 **A/N- And its here! Sorry for the long wait. But life was constantly getting in the way. Anyways, Valter Moonstone is another OC created by Antex-The Legendary Zoroak. More on him later though. And again, Jauneforever has been the legend and was the Beta Reader. So, check him out if you haven't already. Hoped you all enjoyed and I hope to see you all in the next update!  
**


	16. The Beast Emerges

Distortion

It had been a few weeks since Pyrrha became an 'interim member' of Knightingale. Jaune had filled Pyrrha in on what Negative aura was and what he had figured out about it so far. She was shocked to say the least. But it made sense. Most of Remnant knew of Aura and it has been known for hundreds of generations. So, the sudden discovery of a darker counterpart was groundbreaking. But she was up to the challenge.

They had started her training with how to stop the pull on her Negative aura by the Positive aura around her. For that, they had her train against training bots while Onyx, Aaeron and Gil were in close proximity. They were siphoning her Negative aura as she fought. It made her learn quickly, otherwise she'd be knocked out even quicker in her training.

Luckily for her, since she already had notable control over her Positive aura, some of that knowledge transferred over to her Negative. Unlike Jaune, who had very little Negative aura when he started his training, Pyrrha had at least a fifth of her Negative aura when starting. Was still a longshot from what she was used to but it was better than nothing.

After her first week of this training, her Negative aura was already strengthening and she was keeping more of her reserves. She was getting closer to having a quarter of her reserves. Around that time, Jaune and Raven both agreed that they really didn't need three people to watch her train. With that decided they decided to send Onyx back into the field. Aaeron still didn't fully trust Pyrrha's intention and even if Gil didn't say it, he still needed some time to recuperate from being out in the field for so long.

Jaune asked Onyx to look into Valter Moonstone for him as well as keeping an ear out for Ren and Nora. He knew they were still in Anima and with the discovery that Pyrrha unlocking Negative aura, it could give them a small chance of recruiting them into Knightingale. Plus, since he had once been their confidant, it wouldn't be too hard to push them into a situation that would unlock their Negative aura.

After another week or so of her training, Pyrrha's reserves had increased further. It seemed unnecessary for Aaeron to hang around after that. Jaune asked him to go back into the field with Raven. Begrudgingly, he agreed. Mostly because it was more of a favor from Jaune than anything else.

This past week though, Gil started to spar with the Mistral champion to add some variety to her training. It was also giving her practice when fighting someone with Positive aura and keeping her Negative under control. They were hard fights for her. She was having trouble constantly using her Polarity with her reserves weakened as they were. They were now somewhere between a third and half but closer to a third. That along with Gil being a seasoned fighter made it that the Invincible Girl was quickly becoming the 'Vincible' Girl. Although, these fight were helping to accelerate her progress by leaps and bounds.

Jaune was also noticing the effects of Negative aura on her emotions. He was shocked to find that it didn't affect her as much as himself. When he was learning, it made his more negative emotions more common and after mastering it, it made him more apathetic than he was before. Pyrrha though, she had more outburst of frustration and anger but nothing too outrageous. He did notice that like himself, it did help her do things he normally wouldn't have been comfortable with before.

A certain instance came to his mind. He had just used the communal showers in the training rooms. As he was coming out, Pyrrha was walking in with only a towel around her body. Instead of blushing and leaving in a panic, she just looked him over and walked over to him with a glint in her eyes. She didn't have a chance to do anything since Raven walked out of the same shower as him at that moment. A heated glare and competitive glare later, Pyrrha huffed and went into the showers. Jaune knew what that was about and was not ready or happy to be the referee for that catfight.

Back to the present, it was after one of her fights with Gil that Jaune walked over to her sitting on the ground and out of breath. She looked up to see him holding out a water bottle and a towel for her. "These might help." He said with a small grin.

She smiled at him and took both, "Thank you." She then started to towel off some of the sweat that accumulated on her body and took a few sips of the bottle. "Is this what you had to do to gain control of your Negative aura?"

He just shook his head as he sat across from her. "No. I had to fight everyday to keep even a percentage of my Negative aura in me. Took me months to just get my reserves up to where they needed to be. You're improving faster because you already had a grasp on your Positive aura and have someone teaching you on how to use this new power. I had neither. But all that harsh training allowed me to improve more than anything else." He chuckled to himself. "Once you get up to fifty percent or so, you'll start feeling your aura pull on Positive aura. That'll help your reserves increase quicker and I'll be able to teach you on how to control it that aspect more thoroughly."

Pyrrha seemed excited by that prospect. But that made sense. She had trained most of her life and had plateaued in her progress. Now, she had a whole new realm of possibilities to help her improve. She took a few more sips from her water before a thoughtful expression came to her face. "Jaune? Do you think I'll be able to steal Semblances as well?"

Jaune raised an eyebrow at that, not expecting the question. He thought about it for a bit before he shook his head, "I don't think so. Your Negative aura isn't as potent as my own and I believe that is the main factor that allows for that particular ability. It needs to be powerful enough to overwhelm the soul itself to even have a chance to steal a Semblance. Besides, your own fighting style is already developed and focuses more on your own Semblance. Adding more to the mix may just hinder you than anything else."

Pyrrha just absorbed all that and nodded. They sat in a silence for a while as she drank her water. Then she broke the silence. "What's it feel like, stealing someone's Semblance?"

Jaune tensed slightly at that before sighing, "It's not a feeling I particularly like. When my aura sinks into someone's soul, I guess you could think of it like biting into meat. Except, you can feel the pain the person feels. It's dulled but still there. Kinda like how you see a predator attack its prey. And ripping it out of them is condemning that person to forever being broken. Honestly, it'd be less cruel to just stick my hand in their chest and ripping out their heart." He answered in a heavy tone.

Pyrrha looked disturbed by what she heard but that was normal after hearing all that. "I honestly don't take any joy in doing it but sometimes it needs to happen. Like killing someone. I don't take any joy in killing someone but I'm conditioned to it, so it doesn't bother me. Only time I feel any kind of satisfaction in the act is when I feel like the person deserves it."

He stood up with that and looked down at Pyrrha who was looking at him with a little shock still in he eyes. "Remember, Pyrrha: The weak die. The strong live. If you really want to be in Knightingale, you must except that truth and be prepared to do things that'll make others see you as a monster." With that said, he turned around and walked out of the training room.

Pyrrha watched him leave and just digested what he said. Until a voice snapped her out of that, "He can be a real ray of sunshine, can't he?" She jumped slightly and turned to see Gil walking back over to her. "So, what are you thinking about after that?"

She looked at the older Faunus before turning back to the door Jaune just walked out of. "He's definitely not the person I used to know." She said quietly.

Gil just scoffed, "Let me tell you something, Nikos, no one really changes in this world." She looked over to him again. "Trust me, people don't change. They just become more of who they _really_ are as time goes on." He looked at the same door. "I don't know how he was when at Beacon but the man I've always known is someone who I respect more than almost anyone." He looked back at her, "You know why?"

She shook her head slightly, "Because he has the strongest soul and will I've ever seen. No matter what happens to him, he'll keep moving forward. No matter how hard he'll hit the ground, he'll stand back up. But above all, he'll do whatever he needs to, to protect the people he cares for. But I have a feeling you already knew that." He smirked at her.

She looked down with a small blush and he laughed. "He's rough around the edges but you get used to it. You'll see, he's Jaune still. He just lost his naivety and sees the world better than anyone else. Well, besides Raven." He held his hand out to her, "Now, ready to get back to it?" he said with a smile.

Pyrrha looked at the hand before smiling. She had been a bit nervous around the larger Faunus but after talking to him a bit and being around him, she found he was an alright kind of guy. He was similar to father-like figure. She chugged the last of her water and took his hand. He pulled her to her feet with no issue. They then separated and prepared their weapons.

Meanwhile, Jaune was back with his computer. He was going through everything he could find about the Special Militia that Valter Moonstone was once a part of. If the group was the same one that he thought it was, then there may be more to this Valter character than he originally thought.

Using most of the information they stole from Haven, along with some helpful supportive info from Shade and Atlas, he was able to figure out what missions they were mostly known for and that allowed him to find a specific mission that Militia was a part of. And after confirming that, his fist clenched and his Negative aura was flaring around him dangerously. It was a mission that involved the Branwen tribe and the loss of something _very_ important.

* * *

 _It had been six months since Jaune had left Beacon. He had improved in leaps and bounds. Raven kept training him in bladed combat and controlling his aura. While sparring with Gil kept pushing all his physical and mental aspects more and more. He still trained with several different members of the tribe to keep his unarmed combat up to snuff and improve it in any way he could. Along with still training in firing Souffrance Eternelle and perfecting his skill in quick drawing. His swordsmanship, marksmanship and hand-to-hand would now allow him to fight evenly with any second-year, possibly third-year, of the Huntsmen Academies. With his devastating Semblance being mastered and finding more uses for it every day, also made him someone you did not want to be on the wrong side of._

 _He had also gained almost perfect control over his Negative aura. His reserves had finally gotten up to full and he had stopped it from being absorbed by Positive aura completely. In fact, he had completely reversed the phenomenon and could now siphon off any and all Positive aura round him. He still couldn't completely stop it from siphoning aura but now the amount it stole constantly was very little but he still wanted to make it completely under his control. He also knew that no one would ever be able to fight against his Negative aura siphoning their own. Simply put: he had to fight every day to have his Negative aura and that had made it stronger than anyone had seen. Meanwhile, not many people had to train their Positive aura from being drain on a frequent basis. In short, he made his Negative aura a nigh unstoppable force._

 _Raven was proud of his improvement. Gil was proud of his improvement. He was starting to be looked up to like the Senior members by the new bloods and the Senior members were recognizing his strength. He should've felt proud and had a sense of accomplishment. But he wasn't and he didn't. All he felt now was rage._

 _He was in his usual clearing near the camp. He was allowing his negative emotions to run freely, along with releasing spurts of his Negative aura. That was drawing more and more Grimm for him to fight. But that was exactly what he wanted. As the Grimm came, they were either cleaved through with his broadsword or shot fatally with Souffrance Eternelle. Some would get by both and he'd just blow them away with Distortion, either through a kick or punch. Rarer still, he'd actually get hit by the Beowolves blindsiding him but he'd just shrug it off and deal with the Grimm as his wound would heal._

 _He had been out there close to an hour, fighting nonstop. His body was shaking from exhaustion but he didn't care. He just kept pushing. Kept killing Grimm. It was better than standing still. That was when he'd remember and when he'd start to feel the pain of reality._

 _Earlier in the day, the Tribe caught wind of a convoy of dust and weapons being sent from Mistral to one of its bases in the wild. The Senior members saw it as an opportunity too good to pass up. But the convoy would be a high valued target, so they would need to be prepared. They elected for one of the mask holders to lead the mission, taking two dozen of their tribesmen to attack it. The one to lead the mission was Jasper Nihaya, the holder of the Sphinx mask._

 _He was tanned, middle-aged man with his dark hair styled into three dreadlocks that went down to the middle of his back. He wore boots, with black pants and a sleeveless red shirt. He wore black pauldrons and bandages from halfway up his forearm down to his wrists, followed by black gloves. He had dark green eyes and a scar that ran from his left temple down the entire side of his face down to his neck. Along with the symbol of the Branwen tribe tattooed on his left bicep. His weapon was a khopesh that doubled as a chain-blade._

 _Jasper had found Jaune as he was doing his morning exercises and asked him to come along as a Lieutenant of sorts. Jaune agreed immediately and went to grab his coat and weapons. He met back up with Jasper and the rest of their marauding party and left the camp._

 _An hour or so later, they got into their ambush position and waited for the convoy. The road the convoy was taking, was going straight through a forest. At the thickest point, the party divided in two and each hid on both sides of the road. Jasper would command one while Jaune did the same with the other._

 _After the better part of an hour, the convoy had finally arrived. Jasper and Jaune exchanged quick glances from their positions in the tree branches. With a nod, both gave a signal. The two dozen bandits attacked the convoy and with the element of surprise, was able to take down a good portion of the soldiers guarding it. Nothing good lasts though. Because with that, ten members of a specialized militia employed by Mistral came out of one of the cars and started to fight back._

 _Jaune could tell that they needed a hand and with a quick glance to Jasper for confirmation, jumped into the fray with his broadsword. Jaune was able to take care of three of them before the rest of the raiding party rallied and started to support him. They were winning until they were down to the last one._

 _Jaune stopped. This one just felt different. More dangerous. He wasn't as tall as himself, maybe five-foot-seven and was wearing the same black and yellow attire as the rest of the militia. He had a bandana that covered his face from the nose down. He had wavy aquamarine hair tied into a wolf tail and his eyes were a golden yellow similar to a snake's. He then drew two identical daggers from his belt and got into a stance. The blades were black with purple accents and purple handles._

 _Jaune hesitated for a second and two members of his party ran to engage him. Jaune was shocked by how effortlessly he dealt with them. He parried their attacks as if he was dealing with children. He then slashed their throats with enough force to break through their auras easily._

 _Jaune shook himself of his shock and drew his revolver and prepared his blade. The militia charged him but was stopped when Jasper, with his mask still on, intercepted him. As their blades locked, Jasper gave him the order to retreat as he dealt with him. Jaune tried to argue with him but Jasper told him to take the rest of their tribesmen and retreat back to the camp. When he was done with the fight, they'd gather back up and recover the goods. He bit his lip painfully before he gave the command and escorted his tribesmen away from the fight._

 _Jaune led them back to the camp, he immediately ran to Raven's tent and quickly told her about what happened. She stood up and grabbed her weapon. She exited her tent and quickly shifted into her raven form before flying off, leaving Jaune there._

 _For what felt like hours, Jaune just paced around the camp. He needed to know what had happened. Raven flew back to the camp around that time and she had a somber expression on her face. She told everyone at the camp that Jasper had been killed in battle along with his mask going missing. The bandits were sadden, grieving or just enraged by what they heard. Jaune wasn't any of that. It was as if the world just fell out from him and he could feel nothing. Soon that nothingness gave way to rage and he quickly exited the camp. With the only one that noticed were a pair of red eyes._

 _Jaune had just slayed the last of the Grimm. He doubled over and was breathing raggedly. After a few seconds, he shook his head and stood back up with his eyes narrowed in determination. He was about to release more Negative aura when a voice stopped him, "You need to stop."_

 _He turned to see that Raven standing only a few feet away from him. He was so lost in his fighting, he didn't even notice her approach or sensed her aura. He looked away from her. "I need to keep fighting."_

 _He felt her hand on his shoulder, "This won't change anything."_

 _He wanted to lash out but he knew it would do nothing for him. Especially since it was Raven. He clenched his teeth, "You're right. What would've made a difference is if I stood beside Jasper."_

 _Raven shook her head, "Jasper was one of our strongest fighters. As much as you have improved, you most likely would've died as well."_

 _He pulled away from her and threw his weapons down with a scream. "At least I would've known I did something! I'm supposed to be stronger but it turns out, I'm just as weak as I was at Beacon! And if that's the case, I should be dead!"_

 _He was stopped when he was pulled around and was slapped across the face. He was shocked for a few seconds before he turned back to her. Her eyes were boring into his own. But, instead of just anger, there was something else in them. "You are not weak, you hear me? You are stronger than most people in the tribe and I don't just mean physical strength. Yes, losing Jasper and the Sphinx mask is a big hit. But, losing you would be a bigger one." And to his further shock, she pulled him into a hug and he went rigid. "The tribe needs you, Jaune. Gil needs you. And_ _ **I**_ _need you. So don't you dare think about dying anytime soon."_

 _Jaune was just stunned. He returned the hug and buried his face into her shoulder. His hands clenched the back of her robe tightly as he shook. In a shaky voice he swore one thing, "I'll get the mask back. No matter what."_

* * *

Jaune was pulled form his memories and rage when his scroll went off. He took a deep breath to try to calm himself before he picked it up. He saw it was Onyx and accepted the call, "Hey, Onyx. What did you find?"

"How do you know I have anything?" he asked and Jaune could just imagine him smirking on the other end.

Jaune rolled his eyes and grinned, "Because you wouldn't call me if you didn't. And you're just that good at your job."

He heard him chuckle on the other end. "Thanks for the compliment. Anyways, I've compiled a list of attacks from the 'Beast' over the last few months and after comparing the time between each attack and their locations, I think I narrowed down where his base of operations could be. And that would be the failed settlement of Oniyuri."

Jaune's eyes went wide before a smirk came across his face. "That is indeed something. How close are you to it?"

"That's the thing. I'm already here." He said. "There are definitely signs of someone camping here. But its abandoned right now. He should be coming back at some point though."

Jaune stood from his chair, "I'll grab my gear and open a portal to you. We'll lay an ambush for him and take care of this problem here and-" He was cut off when he heard the sound of explosions and gun fire in the distance. "Onyx, what the hell was that?" Jaune asked in concern.

"Damn it." Onyx cursed. "They met up sooner than I expected."

"Onyx." Jaune said with a no nonsense tone.

"Ren and Nora were on a course to this very settlement. That's why I wanted to check it out first. Sounds like Moonstone ran into them first." Onyx said.

Jaune's eyes widened, "I'll be there as soon as I can. Get ready to move, asap." With that, he ended the call and made his way out of the room at a brisk pace. "You won't get away this time, you son of a bitch."

Jaune got to the locker room and threw open his locker. He quickly put on his armor and threw his coat on. He then made sure his guns were loaded and strapped his sword to his back. He pulled out his mask before slamming it closed. He walked out of the locker room with a purpose in his step. As he walked into the training room, that drew the attention of Gil and Pyrrha. They both knew it was serious. "What is it?" Gil asked.

"Onyx tracked down the target I asked him to. I'm about to meet up with him and take down the bastard. Probably save Ren and Nora from him, as well."

Pyrrha gasped at hearing her teammates being in danger, "Jaune, let me come with you. I can help." She practically begged.

Jaune shook his head, "Not gonna happen. Not until you have better control over your Negative aura. You'll just be liability." She looked down sadly and he sighed, "Besides…" he donned his mask and spoke in a cold tone, "This is personal."

He quickly drew Tourmentage Tordu and slashed the air in front of him, forming a black portal. He sheathed his blade and stepped through before either of them could ask more. He walked out on the other side to standing on top of the tallest building in the middle of Oniyuri. He looked to his right to see Onyx stand up from a crouch with his mask on as well. Without being asked, he pointed to the left to show several trees knocked over and smoke coming from them, about half a mile away.

"Let's get the lead out." Jaune said before he channeled his aura into his legs and jumped form the building, sending shingles flying. Onyx was a second behind him and both broke through the canopy of the trees before they jumped from tree to tree to quickly move through the forest. Under his mask, Jaune's eyes were narrowed in determination.

* * *

Ren quickly jumped back before the dagger could cut into his chest. He fired rapidly from his weapons as he was moving back. The man in front of them just parried the bullets and any others just bounced harmlessly from his armor.

Ren skidded to a stop and his left hand quickly gripped his right shoulder in pain. Somehow, his attacker managed to not only get past his defenses but was strong enough to bypass his aura with out shattering it completely. He looked at it to be a shallow cut that went through his clothing. His aura was healing it but not as quickly as it could. On top of that, it was burning painfully. Perhaps he had something coating his weapons?

Ren quickly turned back to his attacker. He was wearing an attire similar to the knights of old. It's main color was purple and had red outlines on it to form the pattern of a snake. With it, he also wore a green cape that was shredded towards the end. He had gauntlets that were clawed and his boots' tips were pointed. He had no helmet, so they could see his face clearly. His hair was long and wavy, possessing an aquamarine color to it. His skin was a pale peach and his eyes were golden-yellow, like a snake's. His weapons were a pair of identical black and purple daggers. He also had a sadistic grin on his face.

With a scream, Nora tried to attack him from behind with Magnhild. He easily ducked under the swing from her warhammer. He then tossed his right dagger into the air and grabbed the shaft of her weapon. He then threw her one-handedly by her weapon towards Ren, who caught her and sent him on his rear. As they were sitting up, they saw him catch his dagger and transform both. The top third of the blades folded backwards and revealed gun barrels as the rest of the blade snapped toward, turning the two daggers into revolvers. He then fired a series of fire dust bullets over their heads and light the trees behind them ablaze, cutting off their retreat.

They slowly stood back up and he shifted his weapons back into their dagger forms. "Is that really all you have? Come on, I expect my prey to be more amusing than this. Pride and Envy are just aching for some real action."

He then flew forward with a leap, shattering the ground as he did. He locked his daggers with the blades on StormFlower. Before Ren could counter, he twisted his body and delivered a kick to his ribs using the point of his boot. He tumbled across the ground and slammed into a tree from the attack. The whole tree shook from the impact and Ren groaned in pain.

Nora tried to hit him in the back of his head with Magnhild but he just flipped over her and managed to fire two shots at her from above her. As he landed in a crouch, he ran both his blades across her lower back, leaving two wounds that bypassed her aura. She screamed as her aura tried to heal it and just felt a burning sensation erupt across her back. He then punched her in the spine and send her to land directly across the clearing from Ren.

He slowly started to stalk towards her and she couldn't find the strength to stand. He was about to charge her, when a black light clone blocked his path with a sword. The man had a confused expression before it exploded and sent him flying backwards.

Nora was stunned and turned to see a figure in black land to her left. She looked up to the Grimm masked face. "You're lucky I showed up on time." Jaune spoke to her. "But that is your one, Nora." He then started to walk forward, towards her attacker.

"Onyx, the fire!" he commanded. And with those words, three blue tipped arrows flew towards the trees in the center of the blaze. They hit the tree and released a large amount of water from the dust heads and quickly extinguished the flames. Nora and Ren both looked to see Onyx in the tree branches above with his bow at the ready.

Jaune stopped about ten feet away from the man as he was standing up, "Valter Moonstone."

He locked eyes with the masked Jaune and smirked sadistically. "That is my name. But who are you?"

"Someone here to kill you and get back something you stole." Jaune spoke with an edge to his voice.

Valter tilted his head slightly before realization crossed his face. "Oh, I thought that mask looked similar." He reached behind him and under his cloak before revealing the Sphinx mask of the Branwen tribe. "I decided to keep it as a souvenir from one of my toughest fights to date." He placed it back on the back of his belt as he heard Jaune growl, "Since you have a similar one, hopefully you'll be as good as he was. And then I can add yours to my collection."

Jaune's response was to draw his flamberge and his black aura shifted to the surface, looking like a fire burning around him. "I swore six months ago, that I would get that mask back. No matter what the cost. I usually wouldn't take pleasure in this but I'm going to enjoy killing you." He then shifted into his battle stance.

Valter chuckled and dropped into his own stance. His own aura, his a black-red, was acting similar to Jaune's now. "I can't wait to see you try."

* * *

 **A/N- Well, its finally here. Sorry for the long wait. Three months was longer than I anticipated. For those who were wondering, what the hell is taking so long? Truth is, I burnt myself out. Big time. Writing this, along with The Void Swordsman and DVYL May Cry, was quickly turning into a chore for me to do. I hated that it got to that point. I love writing and to have it turn into something I'd rather just avoid was terrible for me to feel. The break I took to write other things has refreshed me and now I'm ready to write this story with reborn passion. I hope you'll all understand and I thank you all for being patient with me. And I hope to see you all in the next update!  
**

 **Also, Jauneforever was the usual Beta for this chapter and is a god damned legend. Do me a favor and check him out!**


	17. Predator and Prey

Distortion

The two combatants stood across from each other, weapons ready and auras flaring. The leader of Knightingale standing across from the Beast of Mistral. Valter was staring at Jaune with sadistic glee while Jaune stared him down through his mask with nothing but hatred. At an unknown signal, the two charged at each other. Valter had Pride and Envy at his sides as he ran. Jaune had Tourmentage Tordu in his right hand and to the side as he did the same.

Jaune jumped into the air and came down with a two handed swing. Valter crossed his daggers and caught the blade, the ground below him cracking severely. Valter's arms were shaking from the strain but his smirk just grew. Jaune growled as he tried to push past his blades. That was when his arms stopped shaking and Jaune was thrown back by a sudden boost of strength.

He landed a few feet back before he charged back at Valter, who met him halfway and the two were exchanging slashes at an unreal speed. The other three could only see the flashes and sparks of the weapons. Nora turned from the fight to the only other person besides Ren. Onyx was still crouched in the tree but his bow was now loosely held in his grip at his side, "Hey, you!"

Onyx just turned to her. She could see his blue eyes under his Beowolf mask and with the way he tilted his head, she was sure he had an eyebrow raised. "You work for Jauney, so why aren't you in there helping him!?"

He just stared at her before he tilted his head back and barked out a laugh. He turned back to her and raised his mask up so it was on the top of his head, "Are you serious? Jaune doesn't want or need my help." He had a small smirk before he turned serious and turned back, "This is a deep seeded grudge with him. He won't allow anyone to interfere in it. Not me, not you. Not even Raven. He'll fight this battle alone, even if it kills him."

Nora's eyes widened and so did Ren's. They then turned back in time to see Valter jump back with enough force to shatter the ground underneath him. Jaune drew Souffrance Eternelle in response and quickly rapid fired all his shots at him. What was impressive was how easily he batted away every shot with his daggers before shooting across the clearing with a speed almost up there with Ruby's. Jaune managed to holster his revolver right before he caught a kick to the side of his head.

Jaune slid across the ground on his shoulder before he flipped to land on his feet. He was still slowing down when Valter had his daggers in their revolver forms and was firing fire Dust shots at him. Jaune quickly sent his aura into his blade and as it started to glow black, he started to catch the bullets with the broadside of his blade. The bullets didn't explode or bounce off, they just vanished.

Valter stopped in confusion and Jaune swung his blade, releasing a wave of flames at the Beast. He quickly jumped, shattering the ground again, to get over the wave of flames. He stopped when he saw that Jaune's left hand was extended. He felt the heat and looked down in time to see the flames surrounded by a black aura and twisted into a spear of fire. He caught in the chest and was sent into the air.

"Ren, was that…" Nora asked

He nodded, "Ms. Goodwitch's Telekinesis and the same thing he did against Cardin's explosion."

"So, you two know about that?" Onyx asked nonchalantly. "Didn't think he'd show that off so easily. The red metal of his sword is a special metal, it can absorb energy and temporarily stores it as long as there is aura running through it. Guess it works with fire as well."

Jaune shouted and jumped after his prey. When he was above Valter, he spun his body and brought another two handed swing to his chest. Lucky for him, he crossed his daggers over his chest to stop the blade but the force was strong enough to send him plummeting to the ground. He spun his body around and landed on his feet, creating a crater. His aura was weakened but not as much as one would think. He looked back at Jaune with a smirk. He threw off his green cloak before he shot back up to him in an impressive burst of speed. They clashed in midair and their weapons were locked together.

Jaune realized too late that Valter was only using one dagger to hold him off. That's when his other hand grabbed his collar before throwing him to the ground. As he was falling, he swapped his sword to his left hand and drew Sommeil Eternel before firing two shots at Valter. The first was deflected by his dagger but the second hit his chest. His armor protected him but his aura weakened further. With that done, Jaune used Telekinesis around himself, slowing himself down.

When he reached the ground, he quickly rolled out of the fall to displace as much of the impact as he could but still took some damage. He was still crouching when Valter landed on top of him. Jaune was on his stomach as Valter was on his back. Jaune let slip a groan of pain as he felt one of his daggers in his left shoulder.

Not waiting for him to use his other, Jaune used a pulse of his Telekinesis to throw the Beast from his back. When he was free, he rose to his feet and spun around. Jaune fired another shot but Valter deflected it. Jaune swung his sword left handed and some of the rocks that were dislodged from their fight rose with his Telekinesis and flew towards him. Valter deflected most of them and managed to land with his feet planted the tree he was flying towards. He just turned to Jaune with that smirk still on his face before jumping towards him again.

Jaune growled before using his Telekinesis to pull his sheathe off his back and onto his forearm, deploying Désespoir. He charged forward and shield bashed the false knight to the side. His arm burning in pain but he ignored the stab wound for the moment. He collapsed his shield back down before sheathing his sword and deploying Haine. With a scream he swung another two handed horizontal swing and Valter tried to stop the greatsword with his daggers but he was still sent flying from the blow.

Jaune would've followed him but his arm was still burning. He held his greatsword in his left hand as his right hand felt his wound. He winced and pulled his hand back. There was no blood on his glove. 'The fire Dust he uses must've cauterized it. So, why is it still burning when my aura is trying to heal it?' he thought to himself. He rubbed his fingers together and he saw that the glove had a clear residue on it. He brought it to his nose and smelt it. It had a distinct sour scent to it and he realized what it was. "Poison."

He heard a chuckle come from Valter as he was getting back to his feet, "Very observant. Not many people have figured that out. So, how did you?"

Jaune wipe the poison from his hand as he answered, "A friend of my has a specialty for poisons and he taught me much. Not many use it while their victim's aura is still intact."

Valter nodded, "True. Aura can fight off most poisons, so you have to inject it into them when their aura is depleted. The poison I use is corrosive. It could normally kill someone in less than a day but I would have to inject it directly into an internal organ for that effect. So, I found another use for it." His sadistic smirk widened just slightly, "By using my strength to bypass aura, the poison in the wound corrodes the flesh and it takes the aura significantly longer to heal it."

"That would also cause the person to keep bleeding though. So, you use fire Dust to cauterize the wounds to stop that. So, you weaken your opponent but don't kill them outright." He rolled his shoulder slightly to test it, it was burning still but lessening. When he got close enough, he could siphon off more aura and try to heal it quicker. "Now I see why Jasper lost to you." He said with an edge as he took Haine into his right hand again.

"He definitely was one of my tougher fights. And this one is shaping up to be just as good." He the took his two dagger and connected the pommels together. The two weapons stretched to form a shaft and the blades lengthened as well, forming a double bladed spear. He spun it in his hands before he dropped into his stance again. "Let's start Round 2!" He shot forward with his spear blade ready to run Jaune through.

Jaune charged but at the last second, stepped to the side, just out of the path of the spear. He then retaliated with a downward swing with his greatsword. He was shocked to see Moonstone just raise the arm that wasn't holding his spear. 'Is he planning to catch the blade with his forearm?' And that he did, his aura barely reacted to it and Jaune felt his swing just stop, like he hit something extremely solid. He couldn't think about that because he had to jump back form the spear blade coming to stab him in the face or neck.

Jaune quickly jumped back and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he jumped into the air. He swung his blade down and used the force of the jump and gravity to add more behind it. This time, Valter raised his spear and caught the blade with the shaft of his weapon. Jaune smirked at that and hit the switch on his sword. The blade was shifting back into its sheath form. But since the blade was caught on the shaft, when the larger section of the blade tried to reconnect with the smaller third, it shot the sheathe forward. It came off part way from Tourmentage Tordu and into Valter's face.

Valter's head shot backwards, unprepared for the impromptu projectile hitting his face. While he was distracted, Jaune pulled his sword off of the spear and pulled it to his lower right. As he was preparing, the sheathe flew off his blade and that was when he swung upwards. His flamberge scrapped across Valter's chest plate and sent him into the air. He thrust his left hand forward and with a shout, his Telekinesis sent him through a tree.

Jaune was breathing raggedly as he slowly lowered his arm. "That should keep him down for a few." He said out loud. He then turned to pick up his sheathe that was on the ground, five feet behind him. He could tell his aura was down to about three-fifths of his maximum aura. Even with the aura he was siphoning, he was burning through quite a bit of it.

As he was reaching down for his sheathe, he felt his instincts screaming at him. He turned but wasn't quick enough to stop the armored fist from impacting the side of his head. It felt like he was hit with a cannonball. His eyes moved to see that Valter had that same sadistic smirk as his fist collided with him. Jaune was sent flying and his mask came off as he bounced off the ground before rolling across it.

Jaune was groaning as his aura tried to dull the pain coming from the side of his head. He was trying to get back to his feet but his whole head felt like a jumbled mess. He heard Valter chuckling and walking closer, "I thought you'd at least know to not turn your back on an enemy until they are dead." Jaune's eyes slowly panned over to him standing beside his mask. His eyes widened, "Looks like I got my prize."

He started to reach down to pick up the Dragon mask but as his fingers were a few inches from it, his hand stopped. No matter how hard he tried, his hand wouldn't move an inch. Then there were over a dozen cracking sounds. He screamed in agony as he grabbed his wrist. His gauntlet's armor was shattered and his fingers were the definition of broken. They were crooked and pointing at weird angles. He then noticed the black glow around his hand and quickly looked back at Jaune.

He was now on one knee with his left arm extended and his fist clenched. He had a snarl and a furious fire in his eyes. "Don't. Fucking. Touch. That." He hissed as his Telekinesis slowly started to extend from Valter's wrist up the rest of his arm. "Maybe I'll break the rest of your bones for even thinking about touching my mask."

Before he could make good on his suggestion, Valter quickly threw his spear at him. Jaune quickly deflected it with his flamberge but lost his concentration on his Semblance. At that moment, Valter cleared the distance between them with a leap and grabbed his spear before kicking off of Jaune, creating space between them.

Jaune rolled from his back and onto his feet. He used his Telekinesis to pull his sheathe and his mask to him. He placed his sheathe on his back and put his mask back on. He looked back over to Valter and saw him with his jaw clenched. He saw that his fingers were slowly moving back into place. Curious, Jaune focused on sensing his aura. He could see that his aura was concentrating on his hand but it was different from what he was used to seeing. Instead of looking like his hand was covered or cloaked in his aura, Valter's aura looked to be more internal. Like his aura was a liquid slowly filling his hand. Also, he noticed the same phenomenon in his legs. But when he looked closer, he could see the aura slowly draining from them and moving to his hand.

"Is that your Semblance?" Jaune asked as he popped his neck. Valter just looked at him and he continued, "Your aura isn't acting like aura normally does. The only time I've seen aura act differently is when someone uses a Semblance. So, I'm guessing your Semblance is some sort of healing factor."

He just shook his head with a chuckle, "Close but no. My Semblance is a whole lot more than just healing. It's been a while since someone hurt me like this, so I'll tell you. My Semblance, Blood Bond, highly saturates my blood with aura and allows me to manipulate it. And by sending enough of my blood to certain body parts, I can vastly increases my strength and speed. But it can also harden my skin or accelerate my healing with higher concentrations." To prove his point, he clenched his hand that was now fully healed.

Jaune was tilting his head back and forth, "Quite the ability. Let's see if it saves you." With those words said, he finally finished switching his Semblance from Telekinesis to Distortion. As much as Telekinesis was useful, he was using too much aura using it. His Distortion didn't use as much and he had more experience with it, it was the logical choice at this point.

Jaune dropped into his stance once again while Valter did the same with his spear. The two charged each other again. As Valter thrust his spear forward, Jaune flipped over the weapon and him. He landed on one knee behind him and swung at his left side. Valter spun and caught the blade on his spear's shaft. He noticed the black flames along the blade just before he was launched away by Jaune's Semblance. Jaune quickly switched his sword to his left hand and drew Sommeil Eternel before charging the Beast once again.

Valter had barely stopped when Jaune's blade clashed with his spear. The swordsman delivered a series of fast but devastating slashes, keeping him on the defensive. Jaune managed to get enough of an opening and he quickly fired two bullets that were enhanced with Distortion. The first impacted the center of his chest plate, sending him flying backwards. The second hit just afterwards, sending him flying even faster and doing significant more damage to his aura. He stopped when he smashed through another tree before it pinned him to the ground.

Valter quickly started to use his Semblance, sending his blood into his arms to increase his strength. He started to lift the fallen tree off his chest but as he was doing that, he saw a shadow cover his head. He looked up to seeing Jaune coming down with his blade ready to impale him. He had no choice but to send even more blood into his arms and shoved the tree off him and directly at Jaune.

Jaune just aimed his heavy revolver at the tree and fired another of his Distortion-enhanced bullets. It shattered the tree and kept going. Too bad Valter had already moved from that spot and was running to get behind Jaune's airborne form. As he was doing that, he quickly shifted Envy and Pride back into their dagger forms. The extra reach wasn't helping him and he needed more speed.

He quickly jumped towards Jaune's back while he was still airborne and was pumping more blood into his arms, increasing his strength as high as he could. Jaune turned and in turn, channeled Distortion through his blade. The two adversaries swung with all their strength. Valter was swinging from either side of his hip with a reverse grip simultaneously for and x-slash. Jaune pulled his flamberge over his left shoulder for a downward slash. The two fighters' blades met for all of a second before Valter was sent flying into the ground as Jaune finished his swing. All the strength Valter used only multiplied the effects of Distortion.

Valter collided with the ground hard enough to kick up an obscene amount of dust and leaving him lying in a crater. As he was breathing raggedly, his black-red aura shattered. His arms were shaking in pain from overexerting his Semblance and his chest plate took so much damage that there was severe cracking across the entire thing.

He couldn't remember the last time he was pushed this far into a corner. But that just made it more exciting. He grit his teeth and slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. He froze when he heard something land next to him. He looked up to see Jaune pointing his gun directly at his head. "It's over. Hand over the mask before I put a bullet in your head and take it from your corpse." he said in a frigid tone.

Valter's shocked yellow eyes stared into Jaune's cold blues. He then started to chuckle before it devolved into full blown laughter. He slowly stopped and sighed, "Have to admit, this was the best fight I've had. Not many people have gotten me like this and on top of that, you don't look any worse for wear. Honestly, I wouldn't mind dying by your hand." He had a genuine grin instead of his smirk now.

Jaune tightened his grip on his gun, "You telling me to kill you?"

He shook his head, "No. I would rather die in the heat of a glorious battle before my body can hit the ground. But in the shape I'm in, I won't be able to have that. So, with great reluctance, I will have to decline that offer. So, I'll keep this mask, to insure you will come for me again." His grin turned back into a smirk.

Jaune growled in anger, "Like hell you will. You aren't going anywhere."

He gave a weak chuckle, "You forget, experienced predators know when a prey is too dangerous for them. They know when to retreat." With those words, his daggers turned into revolvers and he used its secondary firing mode. Both guns released all their fire Dust in one shot. They released two massive fireballs that struck either side of the crater and erupted, filling the crater and consuming them with intense flames.

Onyx, Ren and Nora saw the tower of flames erupt from the crater. "Jaune!" they all shouted in shock and concern. Before any of them could move, two figure burst from the flames. The first took off into the forest while the three focused on the second. It was still covered in flames and looked to be kneeling on the ground. That was when black flames burst from it and the regular flames were extinguished, revealing Jaune. Luckily for him, he triggered Distortion as soon as he saw the flames. It wasn't enough to protect him completely but it stopped him from potentially being incinerated. His clothing was singled and heatwaves were coming from his armor and weapons. His aura took a big hit but he was alive.

He pushed himself to his feet and coughed before shouting, "Onyx, the flames!" Onyx jumped from his tree branch and into the air. When he was above the pit, he fired two Ice arrows. They hit the bottom and released the Dust, the ice quickly evaporated but the flames were extinguished by the water. He landed next to Jaune as he looked into the pit, seeing nothing but water. He shook in anger, "He got away."

Onyx nodded, "Yeah. I saw him take off into the forest. I would chase him down but he may just set the forest ablaze to stop us. I only have one more Ice arrow and no Water arrows so I wouldn't like that outcome. Plus, you aren't in great shape either. We may wanna head back to base, boss."

Jaune just shook before he looked to the sky and screamed in anger and anguish. When he stopped, he stared at the ground and was breathing raggedly. After a few seconds, he sighed and put away his gun. "Let's get out of here." He shifted his sword to his right hand and was about to open a portal when he heard two people walking over to them. He stopped and turned to see it was Ren and Nora. He sighed in exasperation, "Of course."

Nora took a hesitant step forward, "Are you okay, Jaune?"

He just stared at her and removed his mask, "Fine. Sore but I'll live."

She nodded with a small smile and Ren asked his own question, "What happened to Pyrrha? Last time we saw her, she went through your portal."

"She's back at my base. She is an interim member of Knightingale now." He responded nonchalantly.

That just shocked the two and Onyx couldn't help but chuckle. Jaune sent him a mild glare but he just shrugged with a smirk. "She joined you?" Nora asked and he turned back to his shell-shocked ex-teammates.

"Yeah, she did." Jaune replied. He didn't see any harm in telling them. Even if they go back to Beacon, what would Ozpin do? He had no idea on what they were doing or where they were. "I tested her and she proved herself to me and did something I thought was impossible. So, I told her the truth about this world and the war going on in the shadows and she decided to join us. To fight against it." He said with a voice full of conviction.

The two looked at each other. They were holding a silent conversation. Ren looked reluctant but he couldn't deter Nora. He closed his eye and sighed in resignation. Nora beamed and turned back to him. "We wanna join too!"

Onyx looked shocked while Jaune just blinked with a neutral expression. "Not gonna happen."

Nora deflated slightly, "But why?"

"Unlike Pyrrha, you two actually betrayed me. I am not about to put my trust in you two so you can do so, again." The two flinched at his tone and the memories of what they did. "Plus, why would you two even want to join me?"

Ren placed a hand on Nora's shoulder, "We wanted to help you. To bring you back. That's why we set out to find you. But, if Pyrrha has joined you, there must be something serious going on and maybe you aren't as lost as we originally thought. We were once Team JNPR, we should be the ones to stand by your side once again."

Jaune just looked at them. He didn't trust a word they said, he had no reason to. But, he couldn't risk opening a portal and them following him back to the HQ. That's when Onyx spoke up, "Why don't you test them?" Jaune looked to him. "Test them like you did Pyrrha. If they pass, you can make them interim members as well, see if they're trustworthy. They fail…" he just shrugged with that.

Jaune just thought it over. It made sense and even if he didn't hate them, getting some payback would be almost therapeutic. And he had a good idea on how to test them. He smirked and turned back to them, "You have a good point, Onyx. So, what say you two?"

They didn't have to look at each other as they nodded. Jaune then spun and opened a portal, he looked over his shoulder at the, "Follow us then." He stepped through after sheathing his sword with Onyx following right after.

Nora and Ren walked through the portal and were beyond shocked by where they were. Kuroyuri. The ruined remains of their old home. They each felt their heart sink at the realization what Jaune had in mind. They both looked around when they felt a cold feeling in the air. They turned to the tree in the center of the town. Jaune was standing on one of the higher branches with his black aura flaring furiously. While Onyx was seating on the same branch only a few feet away from him.

He stopped after a few seconds and a cold smile stretched across his lips. They then heard a very familiar clopping sound and a sense of dread overtook them. Nora's eyes went wide as Ren fell to his knees in shock. "Ren?" she asked, scared.

"No." he said just above a whisper. "No." From around the corner came the Grimm from their nightmares. The Nuckelavee. This was their test.

* * *

 **A/N- Not much to say on this one. Jauneforever, as per usual, was the Beta Reader for this chapter. Go check him out if you haven't already. Hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you all in the next update!  
**


	18. The Cost

Distortion

The sounds of gunfire and explosions could be heard from the ruins of Kuroyuri. They would stop for a few seconds before they would begin again. An inhuman scream was heard before Ren and Nora were thrown back. Both managed to land on their feet and came to a stop, their weapons still at the ready. They both stared down the Grimm, Nora with barely hidden fear and Ren with barely restrained anger. The Nuckelavee slowly walked over to them, its horse head breathing out black smoke as it came to a stop twenty feet from them. The humanoid half on its back twitched before it sat up and stared at them with its red eyes. Galvanizing them into attacking it again.

Meanwhile, Jaune and Onyx were still in the branches of the tree, neither wearing their masks. Jaune still stood, unmoving with his arms crossed over his chest, watching the entire thing. Onyx was sat next a few feet from him on the same branch. He had his right leg pulled up to his chest and his right arm resting on his knee, while leaning on his left arm to help support him on the branch. He wasn't watching as calm as Jaune, "Hey, Jaune." he turned to face his leader. "Is this really necessary?"

Jaune didn't turn to him as he answered, "You gave me the idea to test them." He replied neutrally.

"Well, yeah but isn't this a bit much? That is a pretty powerful Grimm." He was still looking to Jaune but he didn't even flinch. "They could die."

"We are preparing for war, Onyx." Jaune said seriously. "War has deaths. They wanted to 'help' so they better be willing to show they are ready for what's to come." His eyes still didn't move from the fight as he spoke. "Yes, they could die. They could also give up and we could step in and save them, I'd consider that Ren's 'rule of one'. Or maybe they'll be able to defeat it and I'll be able to see the depths of their repentance."

Onyx just looked at him, just trying to figure out what was going on in his head. "I thought you said you didn't hate them?"

"I don't." he answered instantly. "What they did made me who I am. If not for them, I wouldn't have Negative Aura, I wouldn't be the leader of Knightingale. I wouldn't have met Raven." His eyes softened for all of a second before they were filled with coldness once again. "I owe them for that but that doesn't mean I forgive them either."

"Jaune?" Onyx asked.

"They were supposed to be my family Onyx. The one _I_ chose to belong to, not born into. I _don't hate_ them. But they do need to be punished for that betrayal." His tone was so cold, it could freeze water.

Onyx had a shiver go up his spine from that and turned back to watching the battle. 'Maybe Jaune Arc isn't as gone as he thinks.' He thought to himself. 'But, I can understand the betrayal he went through. Only difference between us is he cared deeply for his team and they were supposed to do the same.'

* * *

Ren was breathing deeply as he and Nora stood across from the Nuckelavee. The demon that haunted their dreams. They both knew this was their test and Jaune was not going to help in it. His eyes flicking over to his wayward leader, still just standing there and watching. His eyes quickly went back to the Grimm.

He had no idea on what to do. The two of them were already tired from fighting Valter Moonstone, that was what Jaune had called him at least. He was sitting at half aura, maybe lower. While Nora was probably closer to two-thirds. Even fully rested, they would have a tough time with this. They needed more people but they wouldn't be getting it.

He had no more time to think before the Nuckelavee sprinted at them. The two lifelong friends looked at each other and nodded. Ren took off to the right and started firing from StormFlower as Nora took to the left and did the same with Magnhild. It stopped as it was pelted from both sides but focused on Nora since her attacks were doing more damage. The humanoid half 'sat' up with a shout and started to whip its arms at the bomber.

Nora managed to jump back and shift her weapon into its warhammer form. She managed to smack the next claw away with a swing and deflect the second using the shaft of her weapon. As it was focused on Nora, Ren used his Semblance to hide himself and sneak up behind it. He then jumped into the air and sunk the blades of StormFlower into its lower horse back.

The Grimm froze for a second, trying to figure out what that annoying feeling was. That was when it was peppered by more of Ren's bullets. The humanoid turned and saw the young man gripped tightly on his back. It lashed out with its arm and knocked Ren off it before he could get free. Ren managed to flip and land on all fours to slow himself down. Nora used that opportunity to jump into the air and aim a heavy swing for the back of its head. The Grimm just kept spinning until it made a full rotation and was now facing Nora.

She froze for all of a second but that was enough for it to smack her away, similar to Ren, but she went through the building behind her and groaned in pain as she laid in what appeared to be a bedroom.

Ren's anger got the better of him and he started to run at the Grimm. The Grimm in turn, spun to face him and stretched its one arm up into the air before bringing it down. Ren just barely managed to roll to the side but the attack still sent enough debris that hit him. He fell to the side when a particular chunk of road hit him in the side of the head. He shook himself and managed to kneel, just in time for it to lash out with its other arm. It caught him in the solar plexus and sent him tumbling across the ground. When he stopped, he started to cough frantically, trying to regain the air that was knocked out of him.

While he was lying there, the Nuckelavee pulled its arm back, ready to attack him again. As it sent its arm forward, it's upper body was assaulted with several grenades. It screamed in pain and its arm narrowly missed Ren but the force of the attack sent him rolling across the ground again.

Nora was standing in the hole of the building she was knocked through. Magnhild was still open after firing her entire payload at once. The Grimm screamed in anger and whipped its arm at her. She quickly dove out of the building as the arm tore through the side of the building and it collapsed in on itself.

She landed several feet behind it and took off in a full sprint at it. She jumped and went for a devastating two handed downward swing to the horses back. As the hammerhead was about to make contact with the creatures spine, she was caught in the stomach by it kicking backwards with its back legs. She yelled in pain and had a large chunk of her aura drained. She hit the pavement before bouncing off of it and skipping off it again before laying in a heap.

Ren by this point was kneeling on the ground and seeing Nora like that was enough to break his self-control. With a shout, he charged at the Grimm with blades at the ready. Jaune raised an eyebrow at seeing that, this was the first time he had seen Ren this angry and it was interesting.

Ren leapt at the Grimm but it caught him in its grasp and quickly pinned him against another nearby building. He screamed as his back impacted the wall. The Grimm kept him pinned there as it prepared its other claw, ready to skewer the ninja. Ren saw this and stabbed his blades into the Grimm's hand and started firing into it but to no avail. Nora tried to get up but fell back to her knees as she shouted his name in despair. The Nuckelavee sent its claw forward and Ren could only close his eyes.

Ren heard the sound of the claws striking something but felt no pain. He slowly opened his eyes and saw that the claw was imbedded into the street just before the building. He was confused before he looked over to Jaune and saw he had his right hand out, surrounded in his black aura. The two locked eyes and Jaune nodded before he stopped his Telekinesis and put his arm back to crossing over his chest.

Knowing this was his only chance, Ren used his blades to push the claw away enough so he could pull his lower half free. He placed his feet against the building and kicked off it and towards the Grimm, his blades raking down the length of the arm as he did so. About halfway down the arm, he pulled his blades free and flipped forwards, landing on the arm to fire a salvo at the Grimm before jumping off the appendage. Just barely missing its other claw trying to knock him away.

He landed a few feet in front of the still recovering Nora as the beast slowly turned to face the two of them. Its front leg started to paw at the ground, getting ready to charge. Ren would've moved but he knew it would just go after Nora. He just stood his ground as his knuckles turned white from how hard he was holding his weapons.

The Grimm closed the distance quickly as Ren kept firing at it. It then stood on its hind legs and was about to bring them down on the Huntsmen-in-training. But by some miracle, Nora managed to stand and get between it and Ren. She used her hammer to catch the legs on the shaft. She grit her teeth as she was holding it back before she managed to say, "Ren, now!"

Ren quickly jumped towards the horse head, hoping to behead it with his blades. The Grimm saw this and the horse head jerked forward, headbutting him and sending him back to the ground. It then applied more pressure and the ground underneath Nora shattered and she had to jump back or be crushed. She landed besides Ren as he was standing back up. Both were then hit by its claws as it lashed out on more time. Both were sent tumbling across the ground and their aura shattered.

When they came to a stop, Ren was gritting his teeth as he was forcing himself back to his feet. He managed to get back on shaky legs as he stared down the Grimm with pure anger. The Grimm just screamed before it pulled its arm back again and sent its claws towards him.

The world seemed to go in slow motion then. He saw the claw coming towards him but he couldn't move. That was when he felt something push him and he was falling through the air. He turned away from the Grimm to whatever hit him and his eyes widened in shock. Nora was in the air and had her arms extended, she had jumped to push him out of the way. He could only watch as the claw hit her and she was thrown away from him.

As soon as he hit the ground he turned to her, "Nora!" he shouted before he stood up and started to run to her. He saw that the arm still had her pinned, so he quickly pulled his father's dagger out and used It to cut the arm off. He could hear the Grimm scream and saw the arm start to evaporate. He dropped the dagger as he slid on his knees beside her. He started to move her in a sitting position, "Nora…" he started before he gasped. He could a deep wound in her stomach and was bleeding badly.

He quickly ripped off one of his sleeves and pressed it against her wound, trying to slow the bleeding. "You're going to be okay, Nora. You're going to be okay." He told her trying to convince both of them that it'd be true.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see Ren holding her. She had a small blush and smile, "Sorry, Renny, but I don't think that's gonna happen."

"Don't say that, Nora. Don't even think that." Ren told her and pushed the blooded sleeve more into the wound to apply more pressure.

She slowly shook her head, "We both know it's true."

Ren started to shake and her closed his eyes as he felt tears starting to gather. "I'm sorry, Nora. If you didn't save me-"

Nora cut him off, "I'd do it again in a heartbeat." She slowly raised her hand and placed it on his cheek. He opened his eyes and looked down into her own, noticing she had tears running down her face as well. "You saved me all those years ago and took care of me since that day. I have no regrets with going this far to do the same for you."

Tears started to escape his eyes and Nora gently wiped them away with her thumb, "Thank you, Ren. " she coughed a bit before continuing. "Thank you for being my family. My home. My whole world. I wish I said this before but I guess it's either now or never…" her breathing was getting fainter and her eyes were starting to close. "I love you, Ren. Never forget that, please. I…..love….y…" With one last exhale, her eyes closed and her hand fell from his cheek.

Ren caught her hand before it could reach the ground. He held it tightly in his bloody hand and pulled her closer to him so her head was resting against his chest. He was shaking like a leaf and tears were streaming down his face. With a voice so full of emotions that you'd never think it could come from Ren, he said the words he wish he uttered so long ago, "I love you too, Nora. Now and forever." He buried his face into her hair and cried for his dead friend and love.

He stayed like that for a few seconds before the Nuckelavee's scream interrupted them. He froze before he raised his teary but hate filled eyes to the Grimm. He gently laid Nora's body on the ground before he stood and stared it down with those same eyes and a scowl on his face. "You've taken _everything_ from me. Everything! I don't care what it takes! I will _destroy_ you!" Ren shouted at the Grimm.

Taking that challenge, the Grimm charged him one more time. Ren stared down the Grimm; his sorrow, heartbreak, rage and hatred reaching their peak before boiling over. That's when it happened. A new energy filled Ren and his body felt so cold, like it was frozen solid. Pain surged through him next, like electricity surging through his every nerve. His right hand gripped the front of his shirt and his left hand gripped his head from it intense pain. He screamed as the pain only increased, it felt like his blood was boiling inside him. To him, it felt like his body and soul would be torn apart from the inside. Until a darker power erupted from his soul.

The Nuckelavee stopped as the air around the entire area seemed to drop several degrees, all originating from Ren. Ren's pink aura erupted from him, similar to flames, before it started to become darker until it was magenta. Ren stopped screaming and the entire area was quiet then.

* * *

The two members of Knightingale were frozen on the tree branch they were waiting in. Onyx turned his shock filled eyes to Jaune, "Did he just…?" he asked.

Jaune nodded as a small smirk came to his face, "Yes. Ren has awakened his Negative Aura."

"Did you know this would happen?" he asked.

Jaune just shook his head, "No. I thought Pyrrha was a fluke but this proves my theory on Negative aura." He released a breath that sounded similar to a laugh, "I can't believe this."

* * *

Ren leant down and picked up his father's dagger left-handed in a reverse grip. He stood up and looked at the Grimm with just as much fury as he had before his awakening. He gave a primal scream, one that would even make Nora proud. He charged at the Grimm at his top speed.

The Nuckelavee was pulled from its stupor with the scream. Its humanoid side awoken and it quickly sent its remaining arm at him. Ren didn't even blink. When it was close enough that it would gouge out his eyes, he bent backwards and slid on his knees under it. When he was on the other side of the arm, he stood back up and jumped to spin over the arm and slice clean through it with his dagger. He landed on his feet as the Grimm screamed in intense pain. He then took off to where StormFlower laid.

But he had to back flip away when the Grimm came at him in a rage induced charge. He landed in a crouch, his right hand pressed to the ground while his left was out to his side and dagger still in it. He was about to charge again when he saw something silver just behind him. He looked and his heart clenched at seeing Magnhild. He then came to a decision, 'they' would do it together. He tucked the dagger into his boot before he transformed Magnhild into its grenade launcher form and charged the Grimm again, but at a slower pace this time.

The Grimm turned to him but Ren released several grenades at it, catching it on the shoulder, neck and the side of the head of the horse half, disorientating it. With that done, he transformed it back into its warhammer form and held it on his left side. He felt the weight and channeled his aura into his arms, like he would normally do, not noticing how different the sensation felt. He swung Magnhild with all his might while firing off and explosion. The hammer hit its back leg, at the knee and shattered it.

The Grimm screamed again and tried to kick him. Luckily he was able to have Magnhild take the hit for him. He was sent back but planted it into the ground head first. He used it to spin himself back to face the Grimm and kicked off the shaft with his Negative aura to reach it. He landed on the Grimm's back and quickly redrew the dagger. He grabbed the horn of the humanoid from behind before slashing his dagger across its neck from behind, beheading it.

The Grimm started to buck, so he jumped from its back and closer to where StormFlower was. He ran towards them as he heard the Grimm chasing after him but slower because of its broken leg. When he reached his weapons, he picked up his right one before he spun and charged the Grimm once again.

The two enemies charged and didn't give a hint of stopping. Ren jumped at it and it quickly tried to headbutt him again. He saw it coming and quickly spun his body so it would miss him. He maneuvered his body so he was straddling the back of its neck and stabbed his dagger into the side of its neck for good measure. The Grimm tried its best to buck him off but with no effect. It looked back at him and only saw the barrel of his gun at its eye. "For Nora." He said in a low but hate filled tone. He then fired an entire burst into its head. It gave one last weak cry of pain before it crumpled and started to dissolve as its body hit the ground.

Ren stood up and walked a few steps from it, breathing raggedly. His eyes panned over to where Nora laid and his pain came back with a vengeance. He looked down as tears started to fall again, his weapons shaking in his hands. He then looked up to the heavens and screamed in anguish.

Jaune and Onyx stood in shock at what Ren had just accomplished. Onyx more so, "How did he do that? How did he control Negative aura so easily?"

Jaune thought for a few seconds, "Ren is highly skilled in manipulating aura, guess some of that carried over. Although, I'm impressed how quickly he killed that Grimm. But they do say that the fury of a patient man is more fearsome than anything." He dropped his arms. "Stay here for now." Jaune dropped down from the tree when Onyx nodded.

When Ren stopped screaming, he started to walk over to him. Ren heard him and turned to look at him. His eyes went from shock to anger in an instant. He pointed StormFlower at him and started to fire. Jaune didn't flinch, he called on Distortion and the bullets started to bounce off him in random directions as he kept walking forward at the same pace.

Ren quickly realized that wasn't working. He charged at Jaune with his dagger at the ready. Jaune drew his sword and held it at the ready. He sent Distortion into the blade and raised it to stop the slash Ren aimed for his face. The blades clashed before Ren was sent skidding backwards. He stopped and looked back at Jaune with his fury intact. "You did this! You killed Nora!" he shouted.

Jaune dropped his arm so his sword hung at his side. He just shook his head as he spoke calmly, "No, I didn't." Ren was about to say something when he cut him off, "Did I run her through? No, that was the Grimm. Did she sacrifice herself to save me? No, that was you. Why did she have to do that? Because you were too consumed by your emotions."

His words struck a cord wit Ren but he was still too angry to listen, "You brought us here! You called _it_ to us!"

Jaune nodded as he kept walking towards him, only ten feet separating them now, "I did. This was my test for you. But I _didn't_ force you to do it." Ren stopped for a second and Jaune continued, "You could've forfeited and I would've used your 'rule of one' to save you both. Onyx would've helped as well. You would probably be back at Beacon right now if you did, with Nora alive." Jaune sighed, "But you didn't. Your emotions didn't allow you to do so, just like with you abandoning me so long ago. Except this time, you lost something more precious than a 'brother'."

Ren looked away with that, part of him agreed with him. He hated to admit it but it was true. Both times his emotions got the best of him and he lost people he cared about. The Nuckelavee may be dead but the anger, hate and pain was still there. He could place it on Jaune but he'd only be redirecting the blame, like a child would. He was the one to blame, that was the underlying truth here. He sighed, "So, what should I do now? I have nothing left."

"Well, that depends." Jaune answered, now only a few feet from him. "I said before that there is war going on in the shadows. Very few know about it and even fewer do anything about it. Knightingale's purpose is to fight this war, to end it. But we need people to do so. Those with strength. And those we can trust." He held his left hand out to Ren, "What do you say?"

Ren looked at Jaune's hand than back to his eyes, "Just like that? You can go back to trusting me that easily?"

Jaune shook his head, "Not with everything. But enough to tell you the truth of this war. To help prepare you for it. Just like with Pyrrha. But maybe, down the line, you'll be my brother again."

Ren slowly looked down at Jaune's hand. He stared at it before looking back to Nora for a few seconds, "We all wanted you back. JNPR, that is. That's why we came out here. Why Nora fought so hard." He turned back and looked Jaune in the eye, "Walking away now would make her sacrifice nothing." Ren moved his dagger to his right hand and gripped Jaune's.

The two stared at each other and nodded. When they let go, Jaune shouted over his shoulder, "Onyx, come give us a hand!"

Onyx jumped down and jogged over to them, "Help with what?"

"Help us look around for shovels." He sheathed his sword and started looking around, "We need to bury Nora."

Ren froze at that but slowly nodded. He stowed his weapons and helped them look for what they needed. They each found a shovel and started to dig a grave by the lone tree, after Jaune used his Telekinesis to break the pavement and get rid of it. He didn't use it to dig the hole and Onyx and Ren didn't ask him to, it would've felt wrong to.

Eventually they had it deep enough and Ren found a sheet that was still in decent shape in one of the buildings. With Jaune's help, they wrapped Nora in it. Ren carried her in his arms and gently laid her in the grave before getting out. They all looked down and Ren had tears running down his face again. Jaune decided to give one last prayer, one he heard at his grandfather's funeral. "Your battle is over, Nora. I hope you find peace in your rest. And be ready to greet us with open arms when our times come as well."

After several moments of silence, the three men started to bury her. No one said anything. When they were done, Jaune used his Telekinesis to gather many stones together before compacted them into a square shaped headstone. It wasn't perfect but it was the best he could do. On it he carved:

 _Nora Valkyrie_

 _Friend, sister and love_

 _Her presence was a lightning bolt to all that knew her_

With that done. They all looked at it and Ren gave a near silent, "Thank you." Jaune just nodded before picking up Magnhild and holding it out to him. Ren looked at it before looking back up to his eyes, "She would want you to have it." Ren nodded and hung it from his lower back, like she did.

With that, Jaune turned and opened a portal back to Vytal. Jaune and Onyx walked through. Ren turned back to Nora's grave and said, "Goodbye, Nora." Before walking through with them. The portal closed. Returning silence to the ruins of Kuroyuri.

* * *

 **A/N- Here is the next chapter. Now I feel like I need to clear a few things up for a few reviews I'm seeing a lot. First, I always had the intention of more than just Jaune having Negative aura. I had that planned since I came up with the concept. Second, Pyrrha joining Knightingale was also always going to happen but not because of Arkos. The pairing is still JaunexRaven and that is not changing, period. Third, I have other people in mind for joining Knightingale, similar to Pyrrha and Ren, not going to say who but it is going to happen. With that all said, I hope you will all keep enjoying Distortion. If not, well I'm sorry this isn't what you want but this is what I had planned since this became a series and not a one-shot. I hope you all enjoyed and I hope to see you in the next update!**


	19. Infiltration

Distortion

A few months had passed since Ren was brought to Knightingale's base, meaning it had been six months since Jaune's reappearance at Beacon. Pyrrha and Gil were shocked to see Ren turn up. When Pyrrha asked about Nora and got her answer, she pulled Ren into a hug and just held him. Jaune stayed out of it, his presence wasn't needed or wanted. That also gave him an opportunity to see a weird phenomenon.

When they hugged, their Negative auras seemed to replenish each other. Nothing outrageous but just a few percentages for each. It was unusual, he'd never seen anything like that happen with Positive aura. Was it something to do with Negative aura? And if so, why was it happening? Questions he'd worry about later. He had to call Raven and give her a heads up on what had happened. To say that Aaeron and Raven were unhappy was an understatement. Raven got over it the next day while Aaeron just gave him a look of resigned annoyance.

During the months that followed, Pyrrha and Ren were put through intense training and had made leaps and bounds. By this point, both had control of their Negative auras and no longer siphoned off the auras of the other members of Knightingale. Along with that, Gil had helped Ren on becoming more proficient with Magnhild. Along with their training, Gil and Aaeron had taken them on missions to test them and their loyalties. They weren't the most vital missions, just gaining information or supplies. But they went with it, nonetheless. During those missions, Onyx or Raven would be close by to observe them. Onyx with his Semblance and Raven with her avian form.

After a while, the five masked members of Knightingale sat down and discussed what they should do next. They had all come to the conclusion that the two were willing to fight this war. For different reasons though. Pyrrha wanted to save the world but more so, she wanted to be by Jaune's side again. Ren on the other hand fought for vengeance. His anger and hatred from Nora's death was moved to Grimm as a whole. He saw this as a way to destroy as many Grimm as possible and bring about their destruction. Safe to say, they all didn't see them betraying Knightingale anytime soon. But they would need one more test before they could induct them into their group fully, to be absolutely sure on their allegiance.

During those months, their appearances had also changed. Ren stopped tying his hair back and his clothing had changed besides his white pants, except now they were tighter below the knees. He now wore a longer, sleeveless tailcoat that was a darker green. Under it was a black sleeveless turtle neck with red tasseled ropes over his hips. Along with calf high open-toed sandals and from his middle finger to his biceps ran gradient pink-to-black detached sleeves ending in metal armbands. To finish this, he had a pink ribbon tied around his left upper arm, just above his armband. It was to remember Nora.

Pyrrha's appearance changed as well, not as drastically though. Small metal plating was added to her corset for more defense. Her gorget was replaced with a bronze chest piece that covered her neck with a high collar along with her shoulders and most of her chest. She also wore another bronze bracer on her right arm, in case she ever needed to move her shield to her right side.

They weren't the only ones to go under training during those months, however. Jaune had started to try and gain more control over the two Semblances he stole. With his Telekinesis, he was now able to manipulate all states of matter more easily but trying to manipulate huge or multiple targets was still strenuous for him. Meanwhile with Via Sun, he could create his light clones more easily but he was having trouble summoning more than two at a time. They weren't up to where he wanted them to be but it was still better than before. Besides, he always had Distortion to fall back on.

That was the only luck they were having though. Raven kept hitting wall after wall on her search. Today she finally hit her breaking point and was taking it out on the training drones. Jaune was standing against one of the walls as he watched his wife completely destroying drone after drone. He had locked the door to the training area as a precaution, that way no one else would set her off and be the focus for her wrath. Especially Pyrrha. That would not end well for her and he didn't want to go through pulling his angry wife off of the redhead.

Jaune looked down at his scroll and saw she had been at this for forty-five minutes or so. 'Better stop he before she overdoes it. Plus, we're running low on drones.' With those thoughts, he reached over to the panel beside him and powered off the drones.

Raven had just beheaded another drone and turned to the other before she saw it and all the others around her shut down. She looked around in confusion before her eyes landed on Jaune and she glared at him. "Turn it back on."

He just shook his head, "Sorry, Love, but no. You've torn up most of the drones already. The system needs time to repair them again. Besides, you've been going at it for a while and need to rest."

She just scoffed and turned around as she sheathed her blade. She was about to walk away when her entire weapon was covered in a black aura and was pulled from her grasp. It flew across the room and into Jaune's hand, who was giving her a stern look, "I said rest. You're not about to go somewhere and start killing Grimm."

She gave him a murderous glare but he just raised an eyebrow at her. Burning crimson were trying to burrow into frozen blue. Eventually, she huffed and crossed her arms at him. Jaune just smirked at her and started to walk towards her locker to put away her weapon. As he opened it, he heard her speak up, "I don't need to be treated like a child."

He smirked and closed the door. He turned back to her, "No, you do not. But you're stubborn beyond a fault and need someone to smack some sense into you." He started to walk towards her, "Luckily, I'm the man for that job."

She snorted and gave him a challenging look, "Oh, please, you'd never smack me. And if you did, you know I'd rip your arm off."

He was right in front of her with his smirk still in place, "Never said I'd slap your face." He then pulled her into a hug, one arm was around her back while his other hand lightly grasped her rear, "We both know how rough you like it." He whispered into her ear and kissed her neck, right on the sensitive spot he knew so well.

She shivered slightly before she sighed, "I'm starting to believe you married me to just get into my pants."

He pulled back and raised an eyebrow, "We both know that isn't even half true. And excuse my libido, I'm genetically a young Arc, comes with the territory. That's how I had seven sisters."

Raven gave him a teasing smirk, "Are you hinting that you would like to get me pregnant?"

He shrugged, "Eventually, I wouldn't mind having a kid or two with you. But now isn't that time." He let her go and grabbed her hand, "Come on, you need some tea to help you unwind."

She didn't fight him as he led her to one of the living areas in the base. He had her sit down at the table as he tasked himself with preparing her tea. Not long after the water was hot enough, the tea was done as well. He took the pot from the stove and brought it to the table on a tray with two cups from the tea set they managed to keep from when they abandoned their camp. He set one in front of her and filled it before sitting across from her and doing the same for himself.

The two sat in a comfortable silence as they enjoyed their tea. It ended when Raven sighed and gently put down her cup, "We're nearly out of leads."

Jaune nodded, "It was bound to happen. There's nothing in all the information we got from the Academies?"

She shook her head, "None. I've tracked down anyone that could've had an idea on where the relic could be but no luck. And even with the description of the relic, I'm just finding sporadic sightings. And when I get there, it's either a dead end or just was nothing to begin with."

The two sat in a silence. As Raven drank her tea, Jaune was gently tapping his finger against the table. There was one possibility but it be risky to say the least. "We could always use our informant in Vale."

Raven stopped mid-sip and put her cup down, "We do that and we lose our one way of keeping any kind of tab on Ozpin."

Jaune nodded, "I know but he has gotten nowhere closer to finding us. Qrow is doing his damnedest but he's only one man. And with Ironwood out of commission, the hunt for us has slowed to a crawl. Plus with Vale's info, we can possibly find more people that may know where the relic is. And if not, then we'll at least have all the Academies info to look through. Hell, we may be able to find a pattern with those sporadic sightings and figure out where it may be now."

He stopped and took a sip of his tea, "Yes, it's a risk, Rave. But it could be our only choice. Without the relic, our plan _can't_ work."

Raven just looked down and was contemplating on what to do. She eventually sighed, "We don't have a choice, do we?"

Jaune just shrugged, "None that I can see."

"Alright, does she have the program ready?" Raven asked.

Jaune nodded, "She has it on her burn scroll and has one of our black ones so she can't be traced."

"Then tell her to be ready to do this as soon as she can." Raven had a determined look in her eyes. "But we aren't taking the risks we took with Gil and Onyx. We'll be there as well."

Jaune raised his eyebrows in shock, "You want us to be on Beacon grounds? I doubt Oz would be happy about that."

"That's why we need to be there. If things go south, we can help her out. As much as she annoys me, she's still part of the Branwen tribe." She took a breath to calm down some, "And if Qrow is there, it'll make things very complicated. You've grown strong, Jaune, but I don't know if you can go against my brother and win. I can."

She had a point. If the stories Raven told him about Qrow were true, he'd have a hard fight. "So, what's the plan going to be?"

"When our informant gets into Beacon, she'll go to the cliffs. It's secluded enough for us to get in without alerting anyone. When we get there, I'll turn into my avian form and get an elevated view. She'll make her way to Beacon's tower and you'll act as her back up if things go wrong. When the information is uploaded to her scroll, we'll get back to the cliffs or a suitable location and open a portal back here. In and out."

Jaune thought it over, "It could work. The semester will end soon and most of the students should be away for their break. But, that could still leave quite a few students that could get in our way. And I can't be looking everywhere, even my sensing of aura has a limit. And if I'm dealing with an issue, it could make it that someone isn't keeping an eye out for her. We need more people."

Raven drank more of her tea, "But no more than two extras. Too many may be more of a hindrance. Onyx and Aaeron?"

Those two were excellent in stealth, he knew that for a fact, but he shook his head, "Pyrrha and Ren."

Raven just raised an eyebrow that just said, 'Explain.'

"They know Beacon's layout better than Onyx and Aaeron. Plus, seeing them around campus would be less conspicuous. And with them having Negative aura, it'll make any possible fight less problematic." He rested his elbows on the table and interlocked his fingers, "On top of that, this could be there final test. They pass and we'll get two more members."

"But if they fail?" Raven asked seriously, "They could easily betray us while at Beacon. Even if we get out, they will have disastrous information to give to Ozpin. And they'll know more about Negative aura and your biggest secret will be exposed. So, what do you plan to do if they betray us?"

Jaune closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When they opened, they held steely determination, "We'll kill them." His voice never wavered as he said those words, "The three of us who'll be there have dealt with Hunters before, we can do it again. And we know how they fight, so even with Negative aura effecting you two, we can win. Worst case, we can just open a portal for back up." Jaune sat back with his arms crossed over his chest, "And think about it like this: if they are still loyal to us after having the best chance to betray us, we'll know for certain that we can trust them."

Raven just looked into his eyes, "That is one hell of a gamble, Jaune."

He nodded, "I know. Worst case, we have to fight our way out of Beacon. We could get injured or lose people. There's even the chance that we'll have Vale targeting us as well. Best case, we get information and can trust those two fully."

The two sat in another silence. Both knew that Jaune was the leader of the Branwen tribe and Knightingale. If he wanted to, he could make this an order and they would all follow it. But they also knew, he respected Raven's opinion above all else. If she didn't like this and told him no, they would forget this and try to find an alternative.

Raven eventually came to her decision. She looked into Jaune's eyes, "Tell our informant, to be ready to infiltrate Beacon. And we'll tell Gil, Onyx and Aaeron about this, that way they can be prepared for the worst." Jaune smirked and nodded as he pulled out his scroll.

* * *

It had been a few days later and the break at Beacon had begun, it was almost time for their mission. Jaune was gathering his gear at that moment. Focusing his mind on what he needed to do and what he may need to do. He checked both his guns before holstering them. He made sure his blade was sharpened before he attached it to his back. He grabbed his mask before closing the locker and heading to the training room.

Standing there was Raven with her gear and mask on, across from her were Ren and Pyrrha. They both had black face masks that cover from their noses down. Pyrrha had also applied some Dust to her armor, turning the color to grey temporarily. "Ready?" he asked the two and they nodded instantly. He could tell they were nervous but saw the determination clear in their eyes. Jaune looked over to the clock, it was getting close to dusk at Beacon and any minute he'd get the message they were waiting on.

Not long after that, his scroll went off. He checked it and it was a message that said just one thing: In position.

He looked up to everyone, "She's ready." The three nodded and he put his scroll away, they then all put earpieces in to hear each other when they separated. He drew his sword and slashed the air, creating a black portal for them. Raven stepped through first followed by his old teammates. He sheathed his blade and looked behind himself to see the other three members of Knightingale walk into the training area, armed and ready. He raised an eyebrow at them and they nodded in return. With that, he placed his mask on his face and walked through his portal.

When he emerged on the other side, the portal snapped shut behind him and the four were standing on the cliffs and the sun had just set. They could see the lights of Beacon come on, being the only light for miles. Before he could focus on anything else, something collided with him, making him grunt.

He looked down to see a shorter person hugging him close and a smirk came to his face under the mask. He saw Ren and Pyrrha tense, and he raised a hand, stopping them from attacking. He then gave a brief hug to the person hugging him. She was wearing a black version of the clothing she usually wore but what stuck out was the mask she wore. The Griffon Mask of the Branwen's. It completely hid her face but her tri-colored hair was not and fell down her back. "Good to see you too."

She looked up at him and shifted her mask to the top of her head. Her brown and pink eyes looked up at him and she had a flirtatious smirk on her lips. That was when Raven cleared her throat and was looking at them, although they both knew that she was glaring at Neo. She pulled away and Jaune turned back to Ren and Pyrrha. "This is Neopolitan, she is our Informant for Vale."

Ren nodded and Pyrrha said quietly, "It's nice to meet you, Neopolitan."

She looked them up and down with a hand on her hip. She looked back up to Jaune with a raised eyebrow. He nodded, "Yes, they are the same two from my team while I was at Beacon." That got her to glare at them and she was reaching for her parasol, until Jaune poked her between her shoulder blades. She stopped and gave a muted sigh before she pulled her mask back down.

Jaune closed his eyes and started to sense any nearby auras. He didn't find any but that made sense. At this point in time, any remaining students would probably be at the cafeteria or the dorms but it never hurt to be cautious. He opened his eyes and turned to Raven, she nodded and turned into her avian form before taking off. They gave her a minute or two before they began to move, "Ren, Pyrrha, keep your Aura Senses open, just in case." The two nodded and when they were all ready, they took off in a sprint towards Beacon. Moving fast but quiet, using the darkness to hide.

When they reached the nearest building, they jumped using their auras and landed on the roof. They all stayed crouched and looked around, they didn't see anyone nearby and the three Negative aura users could only sense auras walking away from the tower. Jaune looked to Ren and Pyrrha, the two nodded and broke off from the other two. Ren moved to the left and Pyrrha moved to the right. The plan was to form a perimeter around the tower and each of them would cover their own section.

While they were waiting, two students walked by the building they were on. Neo grabbed a hold of her parasol but Jaune grabbed hold of her hand. It wouldn't be smart to attack them, if they saw them then they would, but for now, it was best to let them go. Luckily, they walked by without any issue. The two relaxed and kept watch. A few minutes later, Ren spoke up over their earpieces, "I'm in position."

Pyrrha came through a few seconds later, "I am too."

Jaune nodded, "Alright, stay in position and let the rest of us know if you see anything" He handed Neo her own earpiece, so he could give her instructions or warnings. She put it in before leaping off the roof. He watched her sneak over to the tower's base. He saw her look around before waiting for any signal from her three watchers. When none of them spoke up, she slipped into the building then into the elevator. When he lost visual of her, Raven flew over his head and around the tower, keeping an eye out for her.

With that, he started to sense for any nearby auras. The only one was Ozpin's at the top of the tower. It was his job to keep a tab on him, he would be the biggest issue to their operation. He didn't seem to move for a while but he must've jinxed himself because he felt Ozpin's aura moving down the tower. "Everyone, Ozpin is moving. Keep low and out of sight."

He got several affirmatives and saw Raven take a perch on a nearby building. He moved to the other side of the roof and stayed low so only his eyes could peer over the roof. Ozpin stepped out of the tower and looked up to the sky. He stayed like that for a minute or so before he lowered his head. He started to walk away from the tower. When he was next to the building Jaune was on, he stopped. Jaune felt his whole body tense at that and his hand was lowering until it gripped Sommeil Eternel. He also notice that Raven was watching them just as intently. He hoped that Ozpin would move, last thing he needed was for Raven to try to attack Ozpin to save him.

Luckily, his fear was unwarranted because Ozpin started to walk away again. Jaune watched the Headmaster walk off until he was sure they were safe. His hand moved from his gun and he sighed, "He's gone. I have no idea for how long though. Neo, not to rush you but try to finish this quickly." He felt his scroll vibrate once and that was the signal for 'yes'. He then saw Raven take off flying again.

He moved back to the other side of the roof and kept an eyes out for anyone else. For a few minutes, nothing else happened. Until he got a call from Pyrrha, "Jaune, we may have a problem."

"What is it?" he asked.

"Team RWBY is coming towards the tower. They seem to be arguing with each other, that could draw attention to us. What should I do?" she asked.

"You've got to be kidding me." He muttered to himself. "Keep an eye on them for now. As long as they don't head towards the tower, we should be okay. Anything on your end, Ren?"

There was a silence for a few seconds, "I was going to say no but CFVY is heading this way from the other side. Wait, Velvet's missing for some reason."

"What? We have two teams heading our way?" This was not adding up, why would two teams be heading this way now? "Keep an eye on them for now. Neo, you almost done?" he felt his scroll vibrate once than a second time a second later, meaning 'no'. He then felt his scroll vibrate five times in rapid succession, meaning five minutes. "Damn it." He cursed to himself. 'This is getting to be out of hand.'

He started to focus on the auras around him, Ozpin had moved out of his range but he felt another one nearby. It was moving weirdly and was small, too small to be a person's. It seemed to come from behind and above him. But there was nothing there but open air. His mind connected the dots and he quickly was reaching for his sword but stopped when he felt a blade at he left side of his neck, "Don't even think about it, Kid." A gruff voice said from behind him.

Jaune ground his teeth slightly before he slowly moved his hand from his blade and he moved his other one away from his gun, "Fancy meeting you here, Qrow." He replied nonchalantly. He looked over his shoulder to see the Huntsman standing behind him and Harbinger in sword mode at his throat.

He didn't seem amused, "Yeah, fancy."' He said sarcastically. "So, mind telling me why you're here?"

Jaune chuckled, "What, I can't just pop in every once in a while to see how everyone is doing?"

He felt the blade move closer to his neck before the Huntsman spoke up again, "No jokes. It's time you stop this and give up. For your sake and my niece's."

Jaune scoffed, "Yeah, their sake. Honestly, I think they'd want me dead than anything else. That way they can forget about this mistake, right?"

"Are you that far gone? Ruby cares about you, even after everything you've done. What you're doing is hurting her more and more." Qrow tried to reason with him.

Jaune smirked, "I noticed you didn't mention Yang in that." Their eyes met, "I'm guessing she'd rather I was gone, huh?"

"I didn't say that." Qrow started.

"You don't need to." Jaune cut him off as he felt a very familiar aura coming in fast. "You seem to not understand, so I'll explain. I don't care about that. The only things I care about are my mission and my true family. Especially, your _sister_."

Qrow was confused with the emphasis he but on that word. That was until his eyes widened and he raised his sword to stop the red blade from cleaving his head in two. Raven was now back in her human form and was clashing with her brother. Jaune spun around with his hand covered in Distortion, "How _misfortunate_ for you." He slammed his hand into Qrow's stomach, sending flying off the roof and into the ground. Him colliding with it caused a huge sound that would alert anyone nearby. "Damn it!" Jaune cursed.

"I got him, focus on the mission." Raven told him before she jumped at her brother again.

Jaune quickly held his finger to his ear piece, "Ren, Pyrrha, how are those teams?"

"Team RWBY seems to be heading over after hearing that racket." Pyrrha said.

"Team CFVY was already headed this way but now there moving faster." Ren informed him.

"Damn it. I need you to stall them. Raven is dealing with Qrow, I'm about to help her out. Neo, as soon as you're done, give Pyrrha or Ren a hand. They'll let us know when you arrive and we can fall back to get out of here." Jaune ordered them all.

"On it!" Pyrrha answered.

"Got it!" Ren responded.

Jaune felt his scroll vibrate for a 'yes' from Neo. As soon as he felt that, Jaune drew Tourmentage Tordu. He leapt into the fray with an overhead swing. Qrow was trading blows with Raven until he saw Jaune and he jumped back to avoid it. Jaune landed in a crouch and with him positioned like he was, Raven used him as a springboard to shoot herself towards her brother. The two got into another power struggle and Jaune pushed off the ground to go for a low slice for his legs.

Qrow had no choice but to jump back again. He shifted his weapon so he could fire three shots at them as he was in the air. Jaune stood in front of Raven and used Distortion to protect them both, knocking the shots in random directions. Qrow lunged towards them as soon as his feet met the ground. Jaune held his sword diagonally to stop the attack using his left hand to brace the blade more.

As the two glared at each other, Qrow quickly had to duck to the side as Raven fired her sword at him from her sheathe. With that distraction, Jaune drew Souffrance Eternelle and rapid fired three shots from his waist. Qrow took the shots but managed to push Jaune back before delivering a punch to his face. As Jaune was reeling, Raven came in with a powerful kick to her brother's stomach, separating them. The husband and wife were staring at the estranged brother for a few seconds and in the reprieve, they could hear the sounds of gunfire from the other two fights.

Qrow just glared at them and shifted his weapon into its scythe form. He was serious now. Jaune holstered his pistol and quickly recalled Raven's sword to her with his Telekinesis, using the brief pause to swap out his Semblances. She sheathed her sword as soon as it was in her hand.

The three were about to charge when a cloud of rose petals flew to Qrow's side and materialized into Ruby. "Uncle Qrow! What's going on? I heard your gun fire and I…." she trailed off as she looked to see Raven and Jaune. "J-Jaune?" she asked with wide eyes.

Before he could answer, Qrow spoke up, "Ruby, you need to get out of here, now."

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"What, don't want her to see you fighting us? Or is it because you don't want her getting in your way?" Jaune asked. "Or is it because of your Semblance?"

If Qrow could do it, his glare would've killed Jaune. Ruby looked from Jaune back to her uncle, "Your Semblance?"

"So, you haven't told her." Raven spoke up next. "You've been hanging around Old Man Oz too long, little brother. Keeping secrets as well now."

"Enough!" he said and took a step forward, "This can stop right here. Just come back to us Raven, we can figure this all out. We can-"

"Enough of your lies." Raven spoke up with an edge. "I walked away because I was tired of this damned stalemate and being nothing but a pawn. I thought you'd do the same after Summer but you didn't." Qrow glared and Ruby's eyes widened. "You still believe that Ozpin won't sacrifice you if the time comes. And because of that, you turned your back on your tribe. Your family. You didn't even look for me when it was destroyed. So, who turned their back on whom." Her hand rested on her hilt of her sword. "Get out of our way, Qrow."

He just stared at her before he got into his own stance, "You know I can't do that."

Jaune silently got into his stance and Ruby looked between them all, still unsure on what to do. She finally came to a decision and reluctantly got into her own stance. Her eyes looked to Jaune before locking onto Raven. It was without a doubt that the mission had gotten very complicated.


	20. Flipping the Board

Distortion

Jaune and Raven were standing directly across from Qrow and Ruby. Both parties had their weapons out and ready to fight. Jaune was the one to break the tense moment of peace by raising his left hand into the air. It was glowing with black energy, activating his Telekinesis. A few dozen shingles started to rise up from the building behind him, he clenched his fist and they started to twist until they looked like long needles. He swung his arm down, pointing his palm at the two scythe wielders and sending the volley at them.

Ruby instantly used her Semblance to move back fifteen feet or so while Qrow spun Harbinger to defend himself and possibly Ruby. With the distraction underway, Raven slashed her sword behind herself, creating a portal. Jaune immediately turned and jumped threw it, his sword arm already pulled back for a swing. He came out the other portal directly behind Qrow. He swung his blade but Qrow spun his body to block the flamberge with the snaith of his weapon. The two got into a power struggle and Raven took the opening to rush in and deliver a horizontal swing for his back. Qrow noticed and kicked Jaune backwards and used him to spin to intercept his sister's attack.

Jaune went with the kick and used the momentum to push him back through the portal Raven created. He landed in a crouch, back where he was standing at the beginning of the standoff. He used his aura to jump into the air and above the sibling Branwens. He held his sword two handed but had to shift his blade to stop the red and black scythe from biting into him.

Cold blue stared into reluctant silver. Before she could do anything, Jaune opened his left hand and she was cloaked in black energy. He swung his arm down and sent Ruby down towards Qrow, her releasing a surprised scream.

Qrow looked up in shock and quickly pushed Raven back before he caught his niece and was sent sliding back a few feet. As soon as he stopped moving, Raven had already started to close the space between them. Qrow had no choice but to toss Ruby to the side as he shifted his scythe back into its sword form. He locked blades with his sister as the young girl barely stayed on her feet. She aimed Crescent Rose at Raven and fired but her bullet never touched her since Jaune got between them with Désespoir already deployed.

Ruby quickly ejected the spent casing and reloaded another shot but she was quickly pulled towards Jaune with his Telekinesis. He used his right leg to deliver a thrust kick, catching the flying reaper right in the stomach. Ruby felt all the air leave her lungs before the kick sent her back and onto the ground. She painfully rolled onto her knees as she doubled over coughing.

Jaune looked down at her before turning his attention back to Qrow. He was their main problem but they only had to hold them off for a few more minutes. With that in mind, he collapsed his shield and placed it on his back once again before rejoining his wife.

* * *

A few minutes prior to this, Team RWBY was going to the cafeteria after having a training session in the training rooms. It had been a fairly good training session. After the argument they had gotten into when the rest of JNPR went off to find Jaune, the team had a lot of tension surrounding them. The older women of RWBY decided it was probably best to give their leader some space before they tried to reconcile.

It took some time but she eventually came around. She even apologized for overstepping and bringing up what she did to make a point. The girls accepted her apology and gave one of their own for what they said. Things between them started to go back to normal but they all subconsciously didn't bring up Jaune. They all realize that was a can of worms that none of them wanted to deal with right now.

As they were walking, Yang stretched her arms over her head and hummed in relief, "Man, we haven't had a mock battle go like that in a while. We were on fire."

Weiss nodded, "I have to agree with you. We were almost perfect with our combinations and teamwork."

Blake was gently massaging her shoulder as they walked, "True but I think I overdid it with Yang and my combo. My shoulder is tender."

"Don't worry, Blake. When we get back to our dorm, I'll give you a massage." Yang said with a thumb pointed to her chest.

Blake winced slightly, "Thanks but I think I'm going to decline."

Yang looked confused, "Why?"

Blake looked like she didn't know how to say it so Weiss decided to do it for her, "Your massages have a tendency to make it hurt more in the long run."

Yang looked betrayed, "That's not true!" she then looked to Blake, "Is it?" Blake didn't answer and just looked away and that caused the brawler's jaw to drop. "Ruby, you don't think that, right?" Her little sister didn't say anything and Yang took that as her answer. "I can't believe this! I'm being betrayed by my team and my sister!" Weiss and Blake just rolled their eyes while Ruby didn't respond. "Sis?" Again no response as the young reaper just stared ahead. "Hey. You alright?" Yang asked as she gently grasped her sister's shoulder.

That finally got through to her. She blinked and turned to her older sister, "Huh?"

She just raised an eyebrow, "Okay, spill. What's up?"

Ruby looked from Yang to her other two teammates, who were looking at her in concern as well. Ruby sighed before she decided to answer as they were walking, "Just caught up in some memories. Just reminded me of when we used to do the same with JNPR and we would always have those silly bets of ours." She had a nostalgic smile, "I miss those days."

Yang gently squeezed her shoulder, "We do too, Rubes. But I'm sure it won't be long until Pyrrha and the others come back." She said, trying to console her.

Ruby just sighed before she shook her head, "Maybe but it won't be the same. Not without Jaune."

A tense silence overtook the team with that. Yang looked over to her partner and Weiss, who had the same looks on their faces. "Ruby…" Yang started.

"Don't." Ruby said instantly before she gently pushed her sister's hand off her shoulder. "Just don't." She just kept walking forward, leaving her team to catch up to her.

Not long after that, they all heard a racket, like something crashing into the ground. "What was that?" Yang asked in shock.

Blake's ears twitched under her bow, "I'm not sure but it's not too far away."

"Let's check it out." Ruby told them all and they started to run to where Blake had said the noise had come from. Before they could get far, a grey armored body jumped not even five feet in front of them in a kneeling position. The person stood, revealing to them that they were definitely female. Even with the lower half of her face covered and the black streaks running on either side of her hair, the red hair and emerald green eyes were a giveaway on who it was. The very familiar weapons on her back were also a huge clue. "Pyrhha?" Ruby asked stunned.

She nodded, "It's nice to see you all again. But I'm going to have to ask you to walk away."

Weiss was the one to reply, "Pyrrha, did you not hear that? Someone could be hurt."

"They probably are." She answered coldly, shocking RWBY. "But that was their fault for fighting with Jaune."

"Jaune's here?!" Ruby asked in shock.

Blake narrowed her eyes, "Pyrrha, are you working with him?"

She nodded as she used her Polarity to pull Akouo to her left arm and Milo to her hand. "This is your last chance: Walk away."

"Pyrrha, are you hearing yourself right now?" Ruby asked. "I thought you were going to bring Jaune back, not join him?"

"I was until he opened my eyes to what the Headmasters are trying to hide from everyone. They want to use us as pawns. To play a part before sacrificing us for a war with no end. I probably would've been one of them if Jaune didn't tell me the truth. I will help to save the world." She pointed her blade at RWBY. "Now walk away."

This was not good. After their training session, they were in decent shape but their auras were closer to two-thirds or a half. It would be difficult to fight Pyrrha in that condition if it came down to it. Ruby slowly started to reach for Crescent Rose as a precaution, "We can't do that, Pyrrha."

What happened next, shocked RWBY. Before any of them could flinch, Pyrrha had shifted milo to its rifle and fired dead center of Ruby's chest. The young girl was thrown back from that because of the close proximity and her aura took a big hit. She landed in a heap on the floor.

Yang's eyes turned red and heat shot from her body. Ember Celica deployed and she screamed, "You bitch!" She leapt to try to drive her fist into Pyrrha. The champion pulled up her shield to block it while bracing her body. Yang's fist collided with Akouo, causing a ringing to sound throughout the area but Pyrrha didn't even flinch. She had used her Polarity on her armor to help brace from the impact. She took a small amount of damage to her aura but she easily siphoned some from the blonde.

Yang was distracted by the cold and unnatural feeling of having her aura siphoned so Pyrrha drove her knee into her stomach before shield bashing her backwards. She quickly spun herself to meet Blake's charge, her xiphos locking with the Faunus' cleaver and her shield blocking the katana. Pyrrha quickly headbutted Blake before delivering a slash across her chest. She kicked the cat Faunus back and spun again to intercept the stab from Weiss, who used her Glyph to clear the distance between them.

Pyrrha shifted her xiphos into her javelin before stabbing at Weiss. Lucky for the heiress, she was able to jump back to avoid it but not the shield that slammed into her head when the gladiator threw it. She noticed Yang pull her arm back and recalled her shield to her right arm to attach to her new bracer, blocking the shot from the gauntlet.

That's when the five women heard a gunshot and it sounded familiar to the reaper, who was getting back on shaky legs. "Yang! That was Uncle Qrow's gun!"

The brawler looked over to her sister for a second before looking back at Pyrrha, "Go ahead and check on him, Ruby. We'll deal with Pyrrha."

Ruby looked conflicted but nodded before flying away using her Semblance. Pyrrha watched her leave before looking back to Yang, "You seem confident, Yang. Too bad, you aren't the only one to improve." She raised her left hand and her Semblance activated. Yang felt her right arm, the one she hit her shield with, raise against her will and fire. The shot flew and slammed into the dazed Weiss' back. Causing her to scream.

Yang and Blake just stared in shock before looking to Pyrrha in fear.

* * *

During that time, Coco, Fox and Yatsuhashi were making there way to talk to Professor Ozpin. They were going to discuss what to do next with Jaune. Velvet was missing from their group because Ozpin also wanted to discuss what to do with the young woman. When he had found out that she had set up that meet up with Jaune, RWBY and the rest of JNPR, it shook the trust he had in her for this mission.

Could he really risk putting her out in the field again if she was doubting what they were doing? That could put her at risk, if not her entire team. This meeting would also be to decide that and if she was benched, who would they choose to help support them.

"Are we sure this is the best idea?" Yatsu asked his team leader.

Coco just sighed, "I'm not sure Yats. But if Velvet can't bring herself to fight Jaune, that could be dangerous. Last time he left her almost unscathed but who knows what'll happen next time. I'd rather her be angry with us than dead." She turned to the giant, "Don't you agree?"

Yatsu just looked at her for a bit before he closed his eyes and nodded once. Coco then turned to Fox, "You have any objections?" The blindman just shrugged before shaking his head. Coco turned to face forward once again, "Good. It's settled."

They walked for a minute or so and were now at the base of the CCT. They were going to enter and head up to Ozpin's office before they heard the sound of something smashing into the ground. They all turned to the direction the sound came from and Coco raised an eyebrow, "That can't be good. Wanna check it out?" Her two teammates nodded and they all took off towards the area they heard it come from.

That was until Fox stopped and grabbed Coco's arm. She followed his lead with Yatsu following shortly after. She looked at him in confusion but saw that he was focused on a dark gap between two buildings. She knew exactly what that meant. "You better off coming out now. Fox has already picked up on your presence."

A few seconds later, they saw Ren slowly walk out of the darkness with the bottom half of his face covered. His appearance was definitely different but they knew for sure it was him. "Ren?" Yatsu asked. "Is that really you?"

Ren nodded, "It is. Now, I suggest you go on with whatever you were doing and not make me have to do anything I don't want to do." He said coldly.

Coco raised an eyebrow, "Look, I don't know what's going on but we don't have time for this. So-" before she could finish what she was saying, Ren drew StormFlower and started to open fire at her. Yatsu reacted first and grabbed her and pulled her behind him. He took the attack and used his armored arm to guard himself.

Fox shot off like a bullet to close the space between himself and the ninja. Ren shifted his right arm to fire at him along with his teammates. Fox managed to sidestep the initial burst before using his aura to close the remaining space for a palm strike aimed for his face. Ren started to fall back to avoid it and as he was falling, he delivered a kick to the older man's ribs.

Ren landed on his upper back and reattached his weapons to his thighs before he pushed off the ground and onto his feet once again. Fox had already recovered from the kick and the two martial artists started to engage in close quarters combat. Neither were giving an inch and were doing everything in their power to avoid or deflect the other's aura strikes.

Ren at one point overextended his arm which gave Fox the opportunity to step in his guard and deliver to simultaneous punches to his chest. The force behind them sent Ren sliding back fast. He peered over his shoulder to see that he was moving directly towards Yatsu with his sword at the ready.

Ren didn't stop himself. Instead, he pulled Magnhild from his lower back and deployed it into its warhammer form. He kept it at waist level and fired and explosion, spinning Ren around completely, shocking the swordsman. The hammer hit the middle of the blade, throwing it off course and into the ground a half foot away from Ren. Ren continued the rotation and planted the hammerhead into the ground, using the handle to swing himself to kick Yatsu in the jaw with a roundhouse.

When his feet touched the ground, he pulled Magnhild from the ground and shifted it into its grenade launcher. He aimed at Fox and fired. Fox was still in shock from Ren using Nora's weapon and by the time it all registered, he could only cross his arms in front of him to offer some sort of defense. The grenade impacted his arms and weapons before it exploded, sending him tumbling backwards across the ground.

That's when he picked up on the sound of revving in the air. He quickly turned to see that Coco had her minigun out and aimed directly at him. Ren quickly fired three grenades at the space between them, the explosions kicked up enough dust and smoke to hide himself.

Coco quickly fired into the smoke, hoping she could land a hit on him. She was unlucky though and Ren ran from the smoke on her left. He had StormFlower back up and was releasing a barrage at her. Coco quickly moved her minigun so it would act an impromptu shield.

As Ren was closing the distance, Fox intercepted him and Ren's blades were locked with his weapons. Before Ren could do anything, Fox grabbed a hold of his arms, preventing him from moving. He then saw Yatsu running over with his sword ready for a horizontal swing. Ren could only stare in shock as Yatsu planted his feet and swung with all his might, aiming for Ren's back. CFY was shocked when as soon as the blade touched Ren, he shattered like glass, revealing a shorter woman with a Grimm mask standing there in his stead. She easily flipped over the blade by using Fox to jump off of. The blade missed her and hit Fox directly in the solar plexus, making him release her and sending the blind man tumbling across the ground again with his aura barely hanging on.

Yatsu quickly shook himself and turned back to the diminutive woman holding a parasol across her shoulders. She tilted her head slightly and he could see her brown and pinks eyes under them. He go this blade ready but stopped when Ren's voice cut in, "I wouldn't recommend that." He turned to see that Ren had gotten behind Coco and had a dagger to her throat. Coco's eyes held anger and fear in equal shares. Yatsu reluctantly lowered his arm and sword to show he wouldn't attack.

Ren stared at him for a bit before turning to the girl, "Did you get it?" he asked and she nodded at him. Ren carefully used one hand to touch something in his ear before he spoke again, "Neo has the information. Moving to rendezvous."

With that said, he pulled his dagger away and kicked Coco towards Yatsu. Neo quickly moved to his side as Yatsu caught his leader with one arm. She quickly turned and use Yatsu as a brace to fire he minigun at them. But like before, the two shattered revealing that they had gotten away. "Damn!" she shouted.

She stood tall and collapsed her minigun back into her bag, "Let's check on Fox then head to where that commotion was earlier. That may be where he's headed." Yatsu nodded and the two quickly made their way to their third teammate.

* * *

Pyrrha was standing tall, her shield and xiphos at the ready as she looked at the three women trying to surround her. Weiss and Blake were exhausted and had burns across their bodies, curtesy of Yang's weapons. Yang had several injuries but was in better shape since Pyrrha was reluctant to give her more fuel for her Semblance. Pyrrha had also removed all their long range attacks from the equation. Every time they tried to fire at her, she would take control of the weapon and have the shot miss completely or even have them cause friendly fire. Meanwhile, she still had no problem using her ammunition.

She was about to engage them, yet again, when Ren's message made its way through her earpiece. She had to wrap this up and quick so they could all regroup to escape. At that moment, Weiss shot towards her again with her Glyph. Pyrrha deflected the lunge with her shield but as she did, Blake's ribbon wrapped around her bracer and pulled it to the side. Yang took the opportunity to go for a hard right hook. Pyrrha flipped Milo in her hand and transformed it into its javelin form but so the end pointed at Yang. When Yang was close enough and Pyrrha discharged an explosion from that end. It slammed the blade into the ground but also caught Yang in the face.

Yang cried out as she was temporarily disorientated from the brutal assault. Pyrrha use that to aim at Blake with Ember Celica before firing. Blake dodged but that caused the ribbon to loosen just enough for Pyrrha to pull her towards herself. Blake slammed into Pyrrha's shield arm and the gladiator tossed her onto the recovering Yang, causing them to fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Pyrrha untangled herself from the ribbon and took aim at Weiss with her rifle. The heiress had no choice but to use her Glyph as a defense. With the three women distracted, Pyrrha used her aura to jump back onto the roof she jumped off of and started to run towards the rendezvous.

Weiss quickly dropped her Glyph and ran over to her teammates to check on them. They were already sitting up but Yang was rubbing at her eyes while Blake was asking her, "Yang, are you alright?"

She quickly shook her head and opened her eyes. She was blinking rapidly, "I'm fine." She gritted out. "My head is pounding and my vision is a bit blurry though." She looked around, "Where's Pyrrha?"

"She ran off towards where Ruby went." Weiss informed her.

Yang's eyes widened before she forced herself to her feet, "We have to go after her." Weiss and Blake nodded before following after the champion.

* * *

Currently, Velvet was making her way to the cafeteria to meet up with her team. They had said they were going ahead and she said she would be there later. She had to do some usual maintenance on her weapon. Mostly make sure there was no damage done to the camera and refill her supply of hard-light Dust. It wouldn't take too long to do but she would rather take her time with it to be sure it was all done correctly.

As she was walking she couldn't help the question that left her mouth, "I wonder if they will actually be there?" Several times over the last few weeks, her team would tell her they were going to meet her somewhere but when she turned up, they wouldn't be there. They would however show up a ten or fifteen minutes later and apologize to her. She would ask them what happened and they would give her some excuse. Like some underclassmen would ask them for advice or they got caught up talking to one of the professors.

She bought it the first couple of times but now? She was starting to doubt them. She didn't want to think her team would lie to her. They were like a family to her and she trusted them so much. But all of this happening lately had her starting to believe it was a possibility. Especially since they hadn't been asked to meet up with Ozpin since their failed mission to find Jaune.

That was the other issue: Jaune. A part of her wanted to go out there and stop him after he killed Goodwitch. She wanted to be angry with him, hate him. But every time she tried, she just thought about the young man she used to know. The one full of light and happiness. The one that made her feel like she was safe, similar to the feeling she had around her team. The one she had developed a crush on. And then there was that conflicted look in his eyes when they did fight each other.

The whole situation was so hard for her to make heads or tails of. Did she want to stop Jaune? Yes. Did she want to fight him? No. Did she want him back? Yes. But what would it take for that to be a reality? That was the question she had no idea on how to answer.

She was pulled from her thoughts when her ears picked up what sounded like the sounds of combat. She looked over in the direction of where it was coming from with a raised eyebrow, "What is going on?" she asked out loud. She looked over to the direction of the cafeteria before looking back at the direction of the fighting. She finally came to a decision, "No time." She said out loud before running toward the commotion.

* * *

Back with Jaune, he was currently locking blades with Qrow. Both stared into the other's eyes. In the background, Ruby was trying to fight Raven. Trying being the keyword. Raven had years of experience beyond Ruby and once she knew how the reaper fought, she was able to predict what she would do next. She was easily tracking her when she used her Semblance and she could easily defend against the bullets from the sniper rifle.

Both Jaune and Raven tensed when they heard Ren's message. They knew what they had to do. The deadlock gave Jaune enough time to switch his Semblance and that was when his black hair started to glow under his hood. Next thing Qrow knew, there was black-light copy of Jaune to his right. The clone had its own sword and the two started to tag-team Qrow, pushing him backwards.

Qrow tried to get the momentum to shift to his favor and went for a heavy slash at Jaune but his clone stepped in at the last second. As Qrow tried to overpower it, Jaune jumped back and the clone detonated. It threw Qrow back as he yelled. Ruby heard and turned to see her uncle laying on the ground. "Uncle Qrow!" she shouted and ran over to him.

With them both distracted, Raven made her way over to Jaune. Both stood ready for whatever would come next. Not even a minute later, Ren and Neo jumped from the building close by and landed beside them. Pyrrha did the same from a similar building not thirty seconds later. "Raven." Jaune said.

She nodded and was about to draw her sword when a familiar voice spoke up, "I would like to know what you all are doing here?" They all froze and turned to see that Ozpin had arrived. He spoke calmly but there was a hard look in his eyes. "Care to tell me, Mr. Branwen?"

The others tensed but Jaune just motioned with his hand to tell them to stand down. He took a step or two forward before he lowered his hood and took off his mask. He looked into the Headmaster's eyes, "I'm sure you can guess."

The two men stared at each other, both gripping their weapons tightly. They were interrupted when they heard a familiar scream, "You bastard!" they both looked to see Yang flying towards the leader of Knightingale with her Semblance in full effect.

Jaune used Via Sun to create another clone that jumped towards her. As the shocked girl's fist collided with it, it exploded and sent her back, shattering her aura. Weiss was able to use her Glyph to slow her down and so she could land on her feet. Blake stood beside her partner and leveled her handgun at them with CFY showing up not that long after with Coco aiming her minigun at them.

Jaune just calmly looked at them all as Ruby rejoined her team and Qrow stood beside Ozpin. He smirked, "Well, isn't this a party."

"It's over, Arc!" Coco shouted. "Give it up."

He chuckled, "Not really. True you could take us in but we could easily take down the CCT if you did." He looked over to Neo, "The burn scroll is still connected to the console?" She nodded and turned back to the nine across from them. "One message and we can upload the same virus to this one that we dd in Mistral and Vacuo. I wonder what that'll do to the system as a whole."

None of them wanted to find out and considering what they did prior, they knew he would do so again. There was a tense silence until Blake of all people broke the silence, "Was that Sun's Semblance?"

Jaune looked at her as she stared at him with anger and fear. He nodded, "Yes. It was."

That shocked all of RWBY. "You killed him." Blake said in shock.

Jaune nodded, "It wasn't my intention but yeah. I went to offer Team SSSN a spot in Knightingale, they turned it down. We all could've walked away from that but they decided to try to fight me. I guess you can guess the rest."

"What about Neptune and the others?" Weiss asked in fear.

"They were alive last time I knew. Their deaths would've offered us nothing." Jaune said matter of fact like.

"Guys!" they all looked to see that Velvet was running towards them. She froze and stood twenty feet from both group. "J-jaune?" she asked.

His eyes softened slightly and he nodded, "Good to see you, Velvet. How are your legs?"

"Like you care!" Coco yelled at him. "You were the one that hurt her in the first place."

"And think of the condition you three were in. If I wanted to do any lasting damage to her, I would've. So, I suggest you watch your mouth. I think everyone here knows what I'm capable of." Jaune threatened.

"Miss Nikos, Mister Ren." Ozpin spoke up and everyone turned to him. "What happened to Miss Valkyrie?"

All the students eyes widened when they realized that the bomber was the only one of JNPR not there at the moment. Pyrrha looked to the side while Ren looked down and clenched his fists. "She's gone."

RWBY was stunned silent at that while CFVY just froze with Velvet holding a hand over her mouth. Ozpin's eyes softened, "I'm so sorry."

"Are you?" they all turned to Raven as she stood beside Jaune, mask still on. "How many students have you sacrificed for your plans, Oz? Why would her death effect you? Did you have some role for her to play?"

"Raven, that's enough." Qrow spoke up.

"No, its not, Qrow." She bit back. "He has been getting away with this for too long. And for what? A damned deadlock that all of humanity will lose in time. All the sacrifices have led us nowhere closer to ending this war. Its time for that to change and we will do just that."

"So, you're willing to sink so low to win it? To be just as horrible as _her_?" Qrow questioned his sister angrily.

Jaune was the one to answer calmly, "How do you expect to fight a war hidden in the shadows without stepping into the darkness yourself?"

This whole talk was going over all the students heads. "What are you talking about? What is all this about?" Yang asked angrily.

"Nothing for you to worry about." Raven said coldly.

"But they are!?" Yang asked angrily to her mother as she pointed at Ren and Pyrrha. "What makes them so special?!"

Jaune smirked, "You really wanna know? Fine." He turned to them, "Show them." They looked uncertain before they nodded and allowed their Negative auras to surface. The air around them grew cold and that shocked the others outside of Knightingale, especially Ozpin. They stopped a couple of seconds later and Jaune continued to speak, "That's what makes them special. They managed to unlock the same power I have. They have proven themselves to me and their loyalty. They risked everything for me to trust them again. On top of that, they were told the truth and have decided to help us fight this war."

Everyone was trying to come to grips with what he said but Ruby spoke up first, "You forgave them, Jaune?"

He turned to the reaper and nodded. "Considering they risked their lives in a test to prove that to me. Yes."

"So why won't you believe me than?!" she shouted at him, stunning everyone.

"I hurt you, Jaune. I hurt you so badly and I've had to regret that every day because of my decision. " Tear started to fall from her eyes. "I didn't want to betray you but Yang had convinced me to distance myself from you for a while, just like her and Blake did. All the hate that was pointed at you also was pointed at us when we were around you. It was so stressful and Yang convinced me to do it. I was always going to come back to you but by the time I did, it was too late. We were convinced you were gone." She collapsed to her knees as tears kept falling, "It was selfish and it broke you. I'm….I'm so, so sorry."

Jaune just looked at her for a bit. He wasn't expecting that of all things. As he looked into her eyes, he could see it was the truth. But, that didn't change this reality. "That may be true, Ruby. But it changes nothing." She looked like something broke inside her with that. "Just because you're sorry, does not mean I'll forgive you so easily. What did you think, I'd break down and see the error of my ways?"

Ruby started to completely break down and he turned away from her to look at everyone, "I have chosen this path. I will not walk away from it now." He looked to Raven, "Let's go." Raven opened a portal and the two teams and huntsmen tensed. "So much as move and we'll upload that virus."

Before any of Knightingale walked through the portal, they were confused when Jaune turned to Velvet. "There is always a spot for you, Velvet."

That floored everyone but Raven. The rabbit Faunus just stared at him in confusion, "W-what?"

He gave her a small smile, "You are the one person, not including the members of Knightingale, that I trust completely. I would prefer it if I didn't have to fight you."

Coco cut him off, "Why should she trust you?"

Ren spoke up, shocking everyone. "Jaune has never lied to her. Unlike you three." He said coldly.

CFY froze and Velvet looked at them, "What does he mean?"

Jaune turned to him, "Ren?"

He nodded, "I overheard them. They were leaving Velvet in the dark as they were going to discuss what to do next with Ozpin. There reasoning was to protect her and it didn't sound like a new thing."

Velvet was staring at Ren in shock before she turned to her team, "Is it true?"

The three just looked away from her and Coco tried to explain, "Vel, listen-"

"No, Coco. Answer the question. Is. It. True?" Velvet hissed as tears started to gather in her eyes.

Coco just stared at her helplessly before she looked away and nodded, "Yes." The betrayal in her eyes hurt her team more than they could've imagined. "Velvet, I'm sorry. But after the last mission, I didn't want to risk you getting hurt."

"They didn't trust you." Jaune said out loud and started to slowly walked towards her. Coco tried to aim her minigun at him but Pyrrha raised her hand. Next thing she knew, Gambol Shroud and Myrtenaster were pulled from the owner's grip and were pointed at her and Fox's throat respectively. Meanwhile Yang's right arm was pointed directly at Yatsuhashi against her will. Qrow looked like he'd try something but Ren aimed his guns at him while Raven and Neo had their weapons ready. No one could do anything while Jaune closed the space between himself and Velvet, who was just staring at him.

"How many times did she tell you to not attack or use your weapon? How many times did Yatsuhashi 'protect' you?" He asked her and she was confused. "Was that because they cared for you or because they didn't trust you? I don't know the answer but what I do know is that I trust you completely."

That shocked her and a tear ran down her cheek. He gently wiped it away, "When I was alone and surrounded in darkness, you were the light that kept me from ending it all. For that, I owe you everything. I don't want to fight you, Vel. So, please, join us. You will be with people who trust you and will have your back for as long as you stand by us. You will have a family."

She just stared at him. 'Is this real?' she asked herself mentally.

"Velvet! Don't listen to him!" Coco yelled. Her eyes never strayed from Jaune's.

"They lied to you for so long, who knows what else they lied to you about? I have never lied to you, Velvet. So, trust me now." He held his hand out to her. "You don't have to accept, I won't force you. But I would prefer if it you were at my side instead of against me."

She looked down at his hand. Was it really this simple? She could have Jaune back, something she had wanted so badly. She looked at her team for a bit before looking back at him, "I don't want to hurt them." She said quietly.

He nodded, "If it can be avoided, I won't ask you to. I do the same with Onyx when it comes to Ruby and Yang. You can trust me."

She could see it now. The Jaune she knew was still in there. It was buried under all the pain he had gone through. But maybe she could help to bring him back. With those thoughts in mind, she reached out and took his hand. He smiled and he started to guide her to the rest of Knightingale.

No one could do anything on Beacon's side but Ruby and Ozpin. Ruby was too distraught emotionally and Ozpin couldn't risk his student's lives. When they were all near the portal, Neo and Ren were the first to enter. Pyrrha was next after she released the weapons her Polarity had under her influence. Jaune walked through with Velvet, leaving only Raven. She looked them all over, her gaze lingering on Yang and their eyes met. She looked away sadly before walking through herself. The portal shut immediately afterwards.

* * *

 **A/N - It's been a long time since I was this excited for a chapter of Distortion and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. The Beta Readers for this chapter, well it should be common knowledge by now, Jauneforever and Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh. Go check them out because their stories are amazing. Feel free to leave a review if you like and I'll see you all in the next update!**


	21. Two Steps Closer

Distortion

Raven's portal opened up into a familiar forest clearing. Neo and Ren walked through and looked around, Neo had a sense of realization wash over her while Ren looked around in confusion. Pyrrha was right behind them and joined Ren in his confusion, "Why aren't we back at the Headquarters?" she asked out loud while removing her facemask. Jaune shrugged as he did the same while Neo moved her mask to the top of her head again. Her answer was to just give them a knowing smirk.

Jaune walked through with Velvet, who was still holding his hand, and she looked around in just as much confusion. "This is where you've been staying?" she asked in confusion.

Jaune just chuckled and shook his head, "No, this is just a brief stop before we go there."

Before the three confused members of the group could ask anything, Raven finally walked through the portal and it shut quickly behind her. She removed her mask and she had a somber expression on her face. Jaune's smile fell and he let go of Velvet's hand, to her displeasure, and gently hugged his wife. He then whispered into her ear, "You're protecting her, from all this, there's no shame in that. And no one would blame you for trying to save your only child." Raven hugged him close and placed her face into his shoulder and nodded.

The married couple stood like that for a couple of minutes before they pulled apart. That's when Jaune drew his sword and sliced the air behind him, creating his own portal. A few seconds later, Aaeron, Gil and Onyx walked through before it closed. Each one was armed with their masks on. They all looked around before they all relaxed. Aaeron placed his spear on his back before he removed his mask, "So, I take it they proved themselves."

Jaune nodded and it finally clicked for Pyrrha and Ren. The champion was the one to speak up though, "Wait, this was some sort of test?"

Raven was the one to speak up, "Yes. Don't misinterpret this. It was an important mission for information and safely bringing back our informant. But we used it as a way to truly test your loyalties."

Aaeron continued, "It would've been the best time for you to backstab us, if that was your intentions. If you did, us three were ready to come through Jaune's portal to act as backup and to put you two down."

The two were stunned by the way he easily said that but that was Aaeron for you. Gil took pity on them and removed his mask, "Please understand, what we are going to entrust you with is very important to the Branwen tribe. We had to be certain we could trust you. Otherwise we could lose them or they could possibly be destroyed."

"What are you saying?" Ren asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this whole situation.

Jaune walked over to them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. He then smiled at them, "You two have proved yourselves time and time again. But now, we know for certain that you are loyal to us. So, now we can fully induct you into Knightingale."

Their eyes widened and Pyrrha gained a huge smile before she wrapped Jaune in a hug. This was what she had been wanting since she agreed to work with Jaune and Raven. Meanwhile, Ren had a small grin as a fire of determination burned in his eyes. With this, he'd be one step closer to getting his revenge on the Grimm as a whole for everything he lost.

Jaune pulled away from Pyrrha with a smile before he stepped to the side and Raven stepped in front of them. She just looked at the two before she spoke seriously, "Kneel." The two complied while giving Jaune a sidelong look. "Do you swear to cast off your past? To serve the Tribe? To die for the Tribe?"

Pyrrha nodded, "I swear on my life to serve the Tribe to the fullest of my ability."

Ren nodded as well, "I swear on the memory of my family to serve the Tribe until my death."

Raven handed them the white bladed dagger to them. "Prove it." Both started to remove the glove from their right hand, Ren took the dagger first since Pyrrha had to remove her bracer too. He ran the blade across the palm of his right hand. He clenched his fist as the blood ran from the wound and placed it on his chest, over his heart. He stared up at Raven as he handed the blade to Pyrrha.

Pyrrha took it but was hesitant to cut her hand with the blade since Ren's blood was still on it. But that was when she noticed that Ren's blood wasn't on the blade any longer, not even a drop. There wasn't any blood on the ground either, so she was curious on where did it go. She realized that everyone was watching her as she stared at the dagger. So she shook her head before she ran the blade across her palm and placed it over her heart, just like her teammate.

The two stared up at Raven in resolution. Raven analyzed the two of them, looking for the slightest bit of deception. When she didn't find any, she smiled at them. She helped them both to their feet and took back the dagger, "Welcome to the Tribe." The other masked members of Knightingale smiled and nodded to them as well. Although, Velvet was off to the side and was confused about this entire situation.

"Now for the next part." Jaune spoke up. He motioned to one part of the clearing and Raven walked past him to guide the party to the next location. Ren and Pyrrha followed behind her and then the other four members of Knightingale. Jaune just turned to the confused Velvet and raised an eyebrow, "You coming?"

She quickly nodded and jogged over to him before they walked few feet behind the rest of the group. They started to walk through the forest as Raven guided them through the old woods. Jaune turned to Velvet, "You're probably confused, huh?"

She nodded to him, "A little bit. What was that all about?"

"It's the ceremony for inducting new people into the Branwen Tribe. After the tribe was nearly destroyed, we adopted it into our organization to let the Branwen's live on spiritually." He looked over to her. "If you truly want to join us, you'll have to do the same."

She nodded a little nervously, "Is there something special about that dagger?"

Jaune nodded, "It was created, along with all the masks, by the original leader of the Branwen tribe. They were all made from the bones of Grimm."

Velvet looked at him in shock, "How is that possible? Those disappear along with the Grimm themselves."

"Apparently, he had a powerful Semblance called Transmutation. He could use his aura to change the shape of nearly any substance on Remnant. Apparently, after defeating the Grimm, he used his Semblance to create the masks and dagger while they were still alive." Jaune explained.

Velvet's eyes widened before her eyes trailed down to the mask at his belt. "That is horrifying, if I'm being honest."

He nodded at her, "You're right. You can feel it when you look at it, right? That deep seated fear. Like looking at an ancient Grimm. That was carried on from the very Grimm used to make them. It symbolizes that the few who can wear these masks are just as strong and fearsome as the beasts they are made of."

"But, why would someone even do all of this?" she asked, just trying to understand.

"No one really knows." Jaune replied with a sigh. "No one besides the creator of them, that is. The dagger, masks and a third relic of the Branwen's are all linked together, for a greater purpose. It's imperative that we reclaim that lost relic. To end this war."

"War?" Velvet asked.

Jaune looked back at her with a tiny smile, "I'll explain when we get back to the base. For now, watch what is going to happen. You're the first non-Branwen to ever see this part. And maybe, you'll do the same somewhere down the line."

Velvet looked to see that Raven had led them to a small cave entrance. The group of nine made their way in and followed the tunnel until they were in the chamber that had the remaining Grimm masks on their pedestals. Raven turned to Ren and Pyrrha, "The remaining masks of the Branwen tribe, our highest honor. You two have proven yourselves, so…" she motioned to the pedestals, "Claim your mask."

"How will we know which is ours?" Pyrrha asked.

"You'll know it when you find it." Onyx spoke up and they turned to him. He just shrugged, "Trust me, you'll know what I mean."

The two new members of Knightingale turned to each other and shrugged before they walked among the pedestals, looking at the remaining masks. Each one they laid their eye son, filled them with intimidating fear. The two eventually separated from the other as they kept looking.

Pyrrha's eyes landed on a mask and that fear was not there. It was as if the very mask was calling out to her, telling her to come closer. She did just that. The mask reminded her of the powerful Grimm that she heard about from going to Sanctum Academy in Argus. The Leviathan. When she was close enough, she reached her hand out to it and black miasma started to rise from it. She froze for a second before she took a deep breath and placed her hand on top of the mask. The miasma vanished instantly and she pulled the mask from the pedestal.

Ren looked through the pedestals, trying to feel what he was supposed to. That was until his eyes landed on a mask but he didn't feel the fear. Just rage and hatred. He could feel that it was calling out to a part of him but that was easily ignored because of his anger. He stomped over to the pedestal and glared down at the mask. It looked identical to the Imp half of the Nuckelavee he killed. His hand tightened into a fist before he slowly reached for the mask. Black miasma erupted from the mask but he didn't even flinched. He grabbed it and the miasma disappeared.

The two walked back to where Raven and the other's stood. She looked at the two masks, "The Leviathan and Imp. Interesting choices. Wear them with pride." The two looked down at their masks, feeling a slew of emotions before they placed them on their faces. They looked back up to see the other members nod to them. "Alright, let's get back." Raven said as she walked to the entrance of the cave, she would open a portal once they were outside.

Velvet was the last to leave. She felt something weakly call out to her. She looked back at the masks before her eyes landed on one. She stared at it for a bit before she heard Jaune call to her. She blinked before she turned to face the exit. She looked back at the mask before she looked back to the mask before running to meet up with Jaune. As she did, the Creep mask gave off a small amount of miasma before it stopped. It would have to wait before its new master could wear it.

* * *

Ozpin was sitting behind his desk with Qrow off to the side, leant against one of the windows. The members of RWBY and the remaining members of CFVY were there as well. They were all stunned silent after everything they heard.

After Jaune and Raven left, Coco had demanded to know what they were talking about and what was going on. Her teammates felt the same and so did RWBY. That's when he brought them back to his office and he told them everything. The existence of the Relics, the Maidens and most importantly, Salem. He wasn't surprised by the silence. It was a lot to take in and he was content to just let them take all the time to come to terms with what they heard.

"Okay, so let me get this straight." Coco started talking, wither arms crossed and her foot tapping, "These four Relics, which have untold power, are hidden within the Huntsmen Academies and can only be opened by the Maidens from that old fairy tale. And this ancient evil wants them so she can conquer the world. Is that about right?"

Ozpin nodded, "That would sum it all up, Miss Adel."

"Okay, so let me ask this" she said calmly. "What in the hell have you been smoking?!"

That shocked everyone. No one expected Coco to just shout like that, especially at Ozpin. Although he just had a calm expression on his face and Qrow was chuckling in the corner, "Isn't that what I said to you all those years ago, Oz?"

Ozpin sighed, "Yes it is, Qrow." He turned from his colleague back to the team leader. "Trust me, Miss Adel, I know exactly how outlandish this all sounds but it is the truth. Every bit of it."

"What does this have to do with my mother?" Yang asked and everyone turned to her to see that she was glaring at Ozpin.

"When Team STRQ graduated, I told them everything that I've told you all." He linked his fingers together and he leant on his elbows. "They were one of the best Teams to ever graduate Beacon. I thought that having them involved in all of this may help in the long run." He sighed sadly, "But I was wrong, it seems."

"What does that mean?" Yang asked with just as much aggravation.

Qrow walked away from the wall as he spoke up, "We worked for Ozpin for some time after that. We all did what we could but as more time went on, the more Raven became more distrustful of what we were doing. After she got pregnant and gave birth to you…" he sighed and sipped from his flask, "She left to rejoin the bandit tribe we were raised in. We originally thought she was just running from everything but we were wrong."

There was a silence that was broken by Ruby, "Mom and Dad were a part of all this too?" she asked quietly. Everyone turned to her. Since Jaune had left, she just seemed so broken and drained. It was heartbreaking to see her like that. Especially for her family.

Qrow sighed again and nodded, "Yeah, they were, Kiddo. Even after Raven left, me and Summer kept working for Oz. Tai was less active but that was because he decided to raise you and Yang but he would help if he as needed." He looked away sadly. "That was until your mother never came back. After that, Tai just cut ties with Oz and everything else. I stayed because it felt like it was the best thing to do."

Ruby just looked at her Uncle as tears started to gather in her eyes. She looked down with a sniffle. Yang walked over to her sister and wrapped an arm around her to try to give her some sort of comfort. After a few seconds, Blake asked her own question, "So, what are Raven and Jaune trying to do then?"

Qrow and Ozpin looked to each other before Qrow continued. "That we're not entirely sure of."

"What does that mean?" Weiss asked, frustrated with all of this.

"When Raven originally left, we thought she had just turned her back on everything and gave up." Ozpin started again. "But with everything that her and Jaune have been doing over the last few months, we have to believe they have a plan for trying to fight Salem."

Qrow continued where his boss left off, "They have been looking for followers, fighters, and they have been searching around for something that we have only heard of being referred to as 'the lost relic of the Branwen tribe.' That is definitely something extremely important to their plans because Raven has been tearing up the criminal underworld trying to find the damn thing."

"Weren't you a part of that tribe, how come you don't know anything about this 'relic'?" Coco asked the Huntsman.

He shrugged, "Sorry, Shades, when I was growing up with the less than merry men, the only things I knew about were that dagger and the masks. And even then, there were some secrets that only the higher members knew of. So, I'd guess that Raven only found out about it after she earned her mask and has been trying to find it since."

"So, you think that this relic would help them fight against Salem?" Weiss asked after listening to everything said so far. "But why would they go through all this trouble? The rRelics must be safe enough as they are, so why go on the offensive?"

Qrow was the one to answer, "Raven has always been known to attack something head on. She thinks the easiest way to tackle an obstacle is through it, instead of working around it."

"Meaning?" Yang asked while still holding her sister.

Ozpin decided to answer that time, "She was never fully accepting of the defenses set up by my predecessor. She was always worried that Salem would eventually grow tired of waiting and attack the Academies directly and take them by force. And yes, that could be a possibility." That earned worried or even terrified expressions from the students. "But it is unlikely."

"What makes you say that?" Blake asked. "What's stopping her from just doing that now?"

"Miss Belladonna, it would take a literal army to attack and conquer any of the Academies. That would not go unnoticed and that would cause the other Kingdoms to unite to defend themselves against her. In the long run, it would take Salem more time and energy to claim the Relics that way. She prefers to work in the shadows, that way the world doesn't have a banner to unite against."

"Why doesn't the world know about Salem though? Wouldn't that help put an end to her threat?" Blake continued.

Ozpin sighed tiredly. "In all honesty, Salem is one of the most powerful beings on the entire planet." That brought about another set of terrified reactions from the students. "Her scheming and working from the shadows as an unknown is far better than her being revealed and having her fight openly. Plus the truth of her existence would just bring more fear to the Kingdoms, which would just be another weapon she could use against us."

"Not to mention. That could also have the chance of bringing the Maidens or worse, the Relics into the light. Which would just make them targets for ambitious people and could divide us further. The people of Remnant aren't ready to know that such items of power exist. They would go to any lengths to claim them and that could bring disaster beyond all else."

"And is it true you've been just using people as sacrifices?" Ruby spoke up but her voice was filled with anger. She pulled away from her sister and took a few steps closer to his desk. "Was my Mom just another sacrifice, Professor?"

"Ruby?" Qrow said in shock, not expecting that.

"Miss Rose…" Ozpin started before a tried expression crossed his face. No, tired didn't even cover it, it was so beyond that. "I will not lie to you; many people have died being a part of this and many more probably will follow. But, I do not take pleasure in knowing that. I have to live with every one and the reality that I was a reason for it. Maybe their deaths were necessary. Maybe they weren't. I don't know the truth and honestly, I don't want to."

That brought a silence to the room. The students were just thinking over everything that they had heard while the Huntsmen didn't want to break it until they were ready. What Ozpin said to the young reaper didn't exactly sit right with her. She didn't want to think that anyone's death was necessary. Especially not her mother's. But she decided to leave it alone for now, she was too exhausted to try to argue. "So, what now?" Ruby asked calmly, shocking most of them.

"For now, I think you all should get something to eat. The cafeteria will stop serving dinner soon. Then I'd recommend getting some rest. You've all had a busy day." Ozpin advised them.

"What are you going to do, Professor?" Ruby asked after nodding.

"I'm going to contact the Council and let them know we had someone trying to sabotage the CCT. I won't give them any names but if I don't tell them, it'll just be more trouble to deal with when they do find out. We'll also look over the scroll they left to see if there is anything we can get off it. But I doubt they would be that sloppy. After that, we'll try to figure out what to do about Raven, Jaune and our wayward students." He gave them all a calming smile, "Once we do, I'll contact you all. But for now, go get some rest."

"Yes, Professor." They all said as they made their way to the elevator.

Yang and Ruby looked back to Qrow expectantly. He smiled weakly, "I won't be going anywhere for a while. So we can talk later, girls." The two nodded and went down the elevator. With them gone, Qrow turned to Ozpin, "Think that was the right move, not telling them everything?"

Ozpin just nodded, "Yes. They have no reason to know about my curse. It would just be a hindrance." He sighed and gently massaged his forehead, "I would've rather them graduate before we told them any of this but Raven forced my hand."

"Well, at least we can confirm one thing." Qrow said as he took another sip from his flask, "That Kid is definitely skilled. He was able to work with Raven perfectly. And teamwork was a rarity in her wheelhouse. And they weren't serious either. Honestly, if they worked together and wanted me dead, I probably would be, Oz."

"And now they have Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren and Velvet Scarlatina on their side as well. Each highly skilled in their own ways and two of them have the same darker power Jaune holds." He turned completely around in his chair to stare out his window. "For the first time in so long…I'm not sure what we should do." He said just above a whisper.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see Qrow giving him a small smile, "Well, you're only Human, Wizard. Can't expect you to know everything."

That earned the briefest of chuckles from Ozpin, "Good point." He turned his chair back to his desk. "Well, I better inform the Council of what has happened."

"Be honest, you going to leave out Raven and the Kid because you don't want more ammo for James' witch hunt?" Qrow said.

"Yes. James is a good man but his grief is blinding him. Having his army targeting the Branwen's is a waste of resources and could give Salem an opportunity to have her spies infiltrate Atlas under his nose while he is distracted."

"How is he doing after his fight with them?" Qrow asked in a rare sense of concern for the General.

"Better. He is getting new prosthetics installed in a few days. Apparently, he has made a few improvements from the last ones. I also heard that he is having his scientists trying to figure out what is going on with Jaune's new power. How he is doing that, I haven't the foggiest idea." Ozpin informed him.

Qrow just shrugged, "Well, they did figure out how to get an aura into that android so it's not impossible." Qrow then winced, "I…I shouldn't say that about her. It's disrespectful, all things considered."

Ozpin nodded solemnly, "She was your nieces friend, as well."

Qrow looked away, "She still doesn't know, does she?"

Ozpin shook his head, "James wants to keep it quiet. Sensitive information and all. "

"No leads?" he asked.

"Last I heard, no." Ozpin replied.

Qrow sighed sadly, "I should probably get going. Call if you need me." He waved over his shoulder at Ozpin as he stepped into the elevator.

When the Headmaster was sure Qrow was gone he leant back into his chair and looked up at the gears above him in silence. "I wish you would've come to me, Jaune. Or Glynda or any of the Professors. When things got so dark for you, I wish you would've reach out to us. Maybe then, you wouldn't have been put on this path. Maybe none of this would be happening and my students wouldn't be in so much pain."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he kept talking but with his eyes closed, "I don't blame you for your choices. It's one of the gifts we were given. I just wish I made a better choice and was there for you. But I failed you, like so many others before you." He sat there for several more minutes before he opened his eyes and went about the task of writing a message for the Council. He didn't feel like he could face them and remain calm at the moment.

* * *

Back on Vytal, Jaune and Velvet were sitting in one of the living areas of their base. Each had a mug of hot chocolate in front of them. Jaune was out of his coat and armor but was wearing is usual black outfit. Velvet was in her normal clothing. She didn't have anything else for the time being but they would go to Mistral to get her some more clothes tomorrow and Pyrrha had offered her some sleep wear for the night.

Jaune had just told her the truth of the word and she was just processing everything. Jaune was used to it after telling Onyx, Pyrrha and Ren the exact same thing. She took a long sip from her chocolate before she spoke up, "That's…really heavy." She said weakly.

Jaune nodded to her, "Yeah. I felt the same way when Raven told me."

"But it kind of makes sense too." She added on and they lulled into another silence. "So, what do you intend to do about it?" she asked after a few minutes.

Jaune took a deep breath, "For now, we are splitting our efforts between recruiting new members and searching for the Branwen relic. Once we have both, we can begin the first step of our plan: taking down Salem's followers."

She nodded hesitantly and Jaune reached across the table to gently lay his hand on her's. "Velvet." He started and she looked at him, "If this isn't what you're up for. You don't have to be part of this. You're not part of the Branwen Tribe or Knightingale. You can walk away if you like."

She just looked at him with an unsure look in her eyes, "I thought you wanted me to fight with you."

He gave a small nod, "I would like it if you did but I won't force you to. I'd just prefer if I didn't have to fight you." He gave her a small but understanding smile.

She looked down at his hand on her's. She thought for a bit before she shifted her hand and returned the small pressure. She looked at him with a small smile, "I wanted to be a Huntress. But if we succeed, that will just mean we did what they were supposed to anyway. Besides…" she looked down bashfully, "I don't want to lose you again." she added weakly.

Jaune nodded, not hearing the last part. "Alright then. Tomorrow we'll get you what you need then we can start sending you out with the others to help look for followers." He finished his mug of chocolate and took his hand from her's before he stood up. "You should get some rest."

He turned to leave but Velvet spoke up, "Jaune!" he turned back in time to have the rabbit Faunus to hug him tightly. He was shocked by this but heard her speak up, "I've missed you."

He just smiled and hugged her back, "I missed you too, Vel."

They soon pulled apart and they went to the respective rooms. When Jaune opened the door to his shared room with his wife, he saw her seated in one of the chairs glaring at him, "So, you done?"

He just raised an eyebrow as he kicked off his boots, "Just did. Told Velvet everything and she still wants in. So, we have another member." He turned back to his unhappy wife, "But I have the feeling you're mad about something."

She just kept glaring at him, "Oh, no, why would you think that?" she drawled sarcastically.

Jaune just sighed, "Raven, it's late. Why don't you just tell me why you're pissed?"

She huffed, "I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with the fact the this 'new member' wants to breed with you like a rabbit in spring." she hissed.

Jaune just stared at her with a neutral look on his face, "That's racist." He said simply.

"Maybe it is but I have a point." She said heatedly. "The only female members of our group all want to bed you. I have every right not to be happy about-mmpf."

She was cut off as Jaune closed the distance and kissed her deeply and passionately. She tried to resist him and stay annoyed. But feeling his tongue playing with her's in just the way she loved, made her crumbled. She returned the passion and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, with one hand tangling into his hair. Jaune had his hands on the chair so he wouldn't get pulled into it and tip it over.

He eventually pulled away and stared into her red eyes, "You are the only woman I love, Raven. Everything I am is yours and only yours." He told her heartfeltly. She smiled back at him and closed the distance to initiate her own kiss. He just smiled into it before sliding one arm under her legs and the other around her back, pulling her into a bridal carry. He then turned to the bed and started to walk them over to it. He wasn't someone to prove something through words. Actions spoke louder than anything he could ever say. And he had to show his wife, just how much he loved her.

* * *

 **A/N-** **Here's the next one! Man, this chapter just came to me so easily. Been a while since that has happened for a chapter of Distortion. Now the bad news: It is going to be a while before I put another chapter out for Distortion. It's nothing severe, so don't worry. My plan is to update TVS and this, which I have done now, and then I want to focus completely on DVYL May Cry until it is finished, which should only be 5-6 chapters. Similar to what I did for Unraveling the Knight. Once I do that, I'll be back to updating my other stories again. With that said, I hope you can all enjoyed the chapter and will be here for the next one. See you all int he next update!**

 **Beta Reader was the amazing Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh, go check him out, now.**


	22. Past Acquaintances

Distortion

It had been a week or so since Knightingale's infiltration of Beacon. Everyone was getting used to Velvet now joining them. Wasn't very hard though, she was just someone that you just got along with. Especially Gil, He was practically treating the young Faunus as a daughter or granddaughter. Even Aaeron had warmed up to her relatively quick and that was an achievement all on its own. Pyrrha and Ren also enjoyed having someone they knew before joining Knightingale around. The three would hang out often in their down time with Jaune joining when he wasn't off on missions. Onyx started to do the same and they all started to warm up more to each other.

Raven was still a bit iffy about having Velvet around, but that was just her being worried that the rabbit Faunus would steal away her husband. Along with that, Pyrrha and Neo weren't helping the situation. It was clear that Pyrrha still had some lingering feelings for him. While Neo, it wasn't necessarily love or affection. More like just lust. So Raven had many reasons to not be happy. Jaune then made it his personal mission to show her just how much he loved her. With no issue whatsoever from the couple.

Nowadays the base was much fuller. With now nine members coming and going from the base, it made the whole building feel much livelier. Which Jaune was grateful for. It made the place feel less like a base of operations and more like a home, similar to how he used to feel about the camp of the Branwen tribe. They were only missing two of their members at this point but both were busy. Either with keeping an eye out for anything suspicious in Menagerie or on a personal mission. But they would rejoin them when they could.

Currently, the only people still in the Headquarters were Jaune, Raven, Aaeron, Velvet and Neo. All of them were in a comfortable silence as they each enjoyed their breakfast. Raven would be leaving soon to continue her search for the Branwen artifact and Aaeron was going with her as usual. But his time it wasn't just for backup, a few contacts of theirs were in Atlas and they were going to go see if they could dig anything else up on the whereabouts of their prize. So Aaeron was the clear-cut choice for that.

Along with that, Onyx and Gil were going to head back out to Mistral and Vacuo respectively to see If they could recruit a few potential members. It would also give them the chance to see what information those Kingdoms might be sending to Atlas. They had actually asked Pyrrha and Ren to go with them. Pyrrha went with Gil since Vacuo was more about proving your strength and Ren went with Onyx for some much needed stealth on their end.

As they were all sitting there, Raven turned to Jaune, "So, what are you going to do today?"

Jaune took a sip of his coffee before he answered, "I'm going to check in on one of our informants. I want to see if any people of interest have been spotted around Anima lately. Especially Valter Moonstone."

Raven nodded, "By yourself?"

He thought for a second, "Unless you two wanna come along." He turned to Velvet and Neo as he said that.

Neo instantly nodded enthusiastically while Velvet gave him a smaller smile, "If you don't mind me tagging along, I'd be happy to join you."

Jaune just grinned, "It's no problem. Besides, it's usual procedure for someone to keep an eye on the new blood. And as much as I trust Neo, I think it'd be safer if you have someone else do that." He then sent a smirk at the multicolored haired woman.

That earned him a smirk from Raven and Velvet covered her mouth with a hand to stifle her giggles. Aaeron meanwhile just laughed openly. Neo just gave him a halfhearted glare as she tossed a piece of bacon at him. Jaune caught it easily and took a victorious bite from it, "Thank you for the gift, Neo." That made her cross her arms over her chest and continue to glare at him.

What he just said did make him remember something. He placed the bacon on his plate as he wiped his hands on a napkin, "Oh I forgot, I have something for you, Neo." That made her tilt her head and raise an inquisitive eyebrow at him. He stood up from his chair, "I'll be right back."

He left the small dining area to go back to his and Raven's room. When he got there and went in, he walked over to his dresser and on top of it was black wooden box with a brown trimming. On the lid was an emblem of a hammer with a pair of swords crossing behind it, blades pointed down. It was the emblem of a close ally of the Branwen tribe and their personal smith, a man simply known as Kajiya. Looking at the emblem made a smile cross his face and his mind went back several months.

* * *

 _Seven months. That was how long Jaune had left the Arc's personal Hell behind and was definitely stronger than ever before. His swordplay had improved enough so that Raven now had to fight him seriously. Still not at her full strength however but it was still an achievement. His hand-to-hand and quick draw had also improved but he wouldn't consider those skills mastered but he was definitely on the right path for them to be soon._

 _He had also fully mastered his Negative aura, making it so that it would no longer siphon Positive aura without his command. But that left him with a new mystery. He found that if his Negative aura went below half or so, it took longer for it to recover. Plus his body would feel much weaker until it did recover. And it wasn't like when he ran out of Positive aura, it was worse._

 _He had currently led several more missions with other members of the Tribe, most of them were successful. He had also gone on a few missions with the higher ups, mostly Gil and Raven, but he did go on one mission with another senior member, Aaeron Calis. He got the feeling the guy didn't like him much but he just put up with it and he eventually went back to Atlas to keep up his cover or something along those lines._

 _He had actually just gotten back from a mission an hour or so ago. They had raided the village of Shion, which was pretty conflicting for Jaune considering he used to visit there with his ex-family. But he quickly shelved those feelings for the betterment of the Tribe. He had to remind himself: The weak die. The strong live. They had just received some much needed supplies from Mistral and it was his job to retrieve them for the Tribe._

 _The raid went pretty well, they really only had to deal with one Huntsmen. But with Jaune siphoning his aura while he confronted him directly and another half a dozen tribesmen attacking him when he was distracted, he was dealt with pretty quickly. The real problem was that the Grimm were drawn in by all the Negativity. It was mostly Beowolves which they could deal with. That was until a Beringel showed up._

 _With that, Jaune had told all the others to retreat with as much of the supplies as possible while he chose to deal with it. Jaune was just holding it off, not trying to kill it, but that just infuriated the Grimm. So, it eventually grabbed a Beowolf and threw it at him. He ducked under the flying Grimm but when he was back on his feet, the Beringel was already on him with a massive backhand. Jaune quickly used his sword to try to guard himself from the attack but didn't have enough time to use Distortion before the attack hit._

 _The hit sent him flying backwards and his Negative aura took a big hit. But what caught his attention was the sound of metal rending. He corrected himself before he landed on his feet and slid back several more feet. When he finally stopped, he looked at his black broadsword and saw that the length of the blade was only a third of its usual size. He looked at the space between himself and the Grimm and saw the rest of the blade in two pieces on the ground._

 _He felt a surge of anger go through him as he placed the broken sword into its sheathe. He then pulled Souffrance Eternelle from its holster as he charged Distortion into his left fist, it gaining the black flame-like appearance. He glared down the Grimm and it sensed the increase in negativity from him. It just glared down at him and snorted before roaring its challenge._

 _The Grimm charged forward and Jaune took off towards it not a second later. When there was only ten or so feet between them, the Beringel jumped and lunged its arm towards him. Jaune sidestepped the attack and the massive fist impacted the ground where Jaune just was. With that brief second, Jaune closed the distance between them and pointed his revolver towards its roaring mouth and firing three shots into its throat. As it roared, or tried to with its throat ruined, Jaune pulled his left fist back before slamming it into the chest. Distortion amplified the impact of the hit causing the bone armor to crack and the fragments to sink into its chest. The Grimm's chest then caved in and the beast was throw back and into a building behind it, collapsing it on top of it._

 _Jaune stared at the rubble with his whole body tensed, ready if the Grimm emerged from the debris. He stood there for a full minute until he saw Grimm essence slowly rising from it. With that confirmation, he breathed a sigh or relief before he holstered his revolver. He then turned to the broken pieces of his blade to pick them up before he started to make his way to the rendezvous point to reunite with his tribesmen._

 _When they all returned to the camp, he quickly made his way to his tent. When he was in the comforts of his place, he threw his trench coat off and onto his bed then did the same with his gun in its holster. He then sat down on the floor next to a small coffee table and placed the broken pieces of his sword on it a she looked at them._

 _As he just looked at them, he felt a wave of regret run through him. This sword wasn't technically his, it was just a sword the Tribe gave him when he joined and he used it for all the time he was here, but he had grown attached to the sword. He didn't want to have to replace it but in the same token, he didn't have the resources or Lien to fix it. He just sighed as he closed his eyes, "I'm so fucked."_

" _Really? With who?" he heard a familiar voice behind him and looked over his shoulder to see Raven open the flap to look in. "Please tell me it wasn't Vernal."_

 _Jaune just closed his eyes and sighed in defeat, "No, Raven, it wasn't Vernal. Or any other woman." There was a pause for a second, "Or man."_

 _Raven just looked at him for a bit, "So, you're still a virgin?"_

 _Jaune would've been a blushing and stuttering mess if he had stayed at Beacon. But after months of being around the Tribe, he gained an immunity to teasing, among other things. He just looked at her in the eyes with a deadpanned look, "Yes. I'm a virgin. Been a bit busy training and being the drunken Gil babysitter to worry about that." He snarked._

 _Raven raised an eyebrow, "Wow. What pissed you off?" She walked in and over to him. That's when she looked at the table along with the sword. Her eyes gained a look of understanding, "Oh, now I see."_

 _Jaune turned back to it and gave a quiet, "Yeah." After a few seconds he sighed, "Sorry for that. I'm pissed with myself and I took out on you."_

 _He felt a hand on his shoulder, "It's fine. I would be just as frustrated if my weapon broke." She looked at his weapon for a bit before she patted his shoulder, "Alright, get up and grab your things." She let go and walked to the exit._

 _Jaune looked at her in confusion, "Uh, why?"_

 _She rolled her eyes and looked at him, "We're going to fix your weapon. Now get your well-toned ass up and come along." She walked out after that._

 _Jaune stood up and threw on his coat and holster. He then grabbed a spare blanket to wrap the pieces in it. Until he stopped, "Well-toned ass?" he asked himself out loud. He looked at the exit, "Has she been looking at my ass?" He quickly shook his head before picking up his bundle and leaving his tent quickly to catch up to her._

 _Once he did, the two started to walk out of the camp and into the wilderness to the north. Jaune tried to ask where they were going but she refused to answer so he eventually just gave up. He kept his eyes and ears open in case there were any Grimm in the area. Raven seemed at peace and didn't even seem worried for Grimm. He had no idea whether she was that confident in their abilities or she had no reason to worry about them._

 _After about an hour and a half of them walking, Raven eventually showed him to a small wooden cottage in a clearing. It looked big enough for one, maybe two people, but the weird part was that attached to the side was another smaller stone building. Jaune could see smoke rising from the chimney of that building and could now hear the sounds of metal hitting metal. Raven started to escort him to that part of the building and Jaune looked around to see that this wasn't a natural clearing. It was just that all the trees nearby were cut down previously._

 _Once Raven was standing at the door free entryway, she yelled inside, "Kajiya! Are you in?!"_

 _Following that was the sound of metal clattering to the ground then a scream of annoyance from a masculine voice, "For fuck's sake! Raven, you know I'm in if you can hear the hammer! Now I have red hot metal on the ground!"_

 _Raven smirked, "Sorry."_

" _No you're not." The masculine voice responded. "Let me get this back in the forge." A minute or so later, a tanned and well-toned man walked out of the forge. He was a head or so shorted than Jaune with light brown hair tied back into a wolf tail that went just past his shoulder blades with stubble across his chin and cheeks. He wore black boots, brown pants and a black tank-top. He was taking off a pair of thick forging gloves and tucking them into his back pocket. He also had a pair of tinted goggles around his neck. He looked at Raven with a pair of sky blue but annoyed eyes. "Alright, what do you want?"_

 _Raven didn't seem bothered by his rude comment, "Is that anyway to treat a friend, Kajiya?"_

" _Raven, I've had a day. Can you please just cut to the chase?" he asked in a tired tone._

" _Okay, okay. Kajiya, I'd like you to meet Jaune." She said as she placed her land on his upper arm. "Jaune, this is Kajiya. He was a big up and coming weaponsmith in Mistral. But he eventually got tired of all the snobs and morons in the Kingdom and moved out here ten or so years ago. We then made a deal: he'd help with supplying the Branwen Tribe with weapons and repairs and we would help his neck o the woods Grimm free. And keep people looking for him away."_

 _Jaune reached his hand out to him, "Nice to meet you."_

 _Kajiya took his hand and shook it, "You too. Raven talks about you a lot."_

 _They let go of the other's hand and Jaune turned to Raven with a raised eyebrow, "Does she?"_

 _Raven just gave him her best poker face, not letting him get anything out of her. But Kajiya kept talking, "Yup. She's been going on and on about how much potential you have. How one day you'll be one of the greatest people to be a part of her Tribe." He scratched his chin slightly, "I think she even said that you may even be able to become the leader.'_

 _Jaune turned back to Raven. It was very faint but he could pick up the light pink on her cheeks now. He just grinned teasingly at her, "Really?"_

 _The weaponsmith nodded, "Yeah, I was shocked myself. Usually when she would talk about anyone taking over being leader, she would always add they'd have to take it from her cold, dead hands. Or something along those lines. Although with you, she seemed genuine and wasn't exactly against it."_

 _Raven cleared her throat and the two men saw that the light pink was much darker now but still not red. "Can we move past this?" It came out more as a demand and less of a question. "We are here for a reason. Jaune here had his weapon break on our latest raid. I was hoping you could fix it."_

" _Depends on the condition it's in." He said as he turned back to his forge and waved them forward. "Bring it in here."_

 _Raven and Jaune followed him in. As they entered, Jaune saw the actual forge in the back of the building with a roaring fire in it. There was an anvil several feet in front of it with a big tub-like item right next to it. It was either filled with water or oil, most likely the latter. On the left side wall was a table with a variety of tools like hammers, tongs and whetstones. On the right side was a small doorway that look like it led into a storeroom, probably for any ores, ingots or general materials he used._

 _Jaune then set the blanket on the table before he unwrapped it to reveal the his broken sword in three separate pieces. Kajiya stepped forward and examined the pieces, picking them up to examine the breaks. He eventually set them down, "It's not bad. I could fix it like it was before but that would be a moot point."_

 _Jaune raised an eyebrow, "Why?"_

 _He tapped one of the piece with his index finger, "This metal is medium weight and very strong but me fixing it will leave weak points. Making it easier for it to break again or even worse. To be blunt, it'd be a liability."_

 _Jaune looked at the blade and felt his heart drop a bit. He didn't want to just throw away the sword he had used over the last several months. But trying to use it now would just be a death sentence. Raven saw his downtrodden expression and she felt bad for him, as crazy as that sounded. She looked back at the weaponsmith, "So there's nothing you can do?"_

 _Kajiya just smiled at her, "Never said that. Fixing weapons is only one of my many talents." He then walked past them and into his storeroom. As they could hear him moving materials around, Jaune turned to Raven with a questioning look. Her only response was to shrug her shoulders. He then walked back in with a big chunk of a red ore in his hands, "But I could reforge the sword with this to make it better than ever. Been saving it for a special occasion and if this guy is half as good as you've told me, I think it would be the best time to use it." He smirked, "That is, if you want me to."_

 _Jaune just stared into his eyes with a grin, "Hell yeah!"_

* * *

Jaune shook his head to come back to reality. He quickly left the room and back to the dining area. Velvet, Raven and Aaeron just looked on in curiosity while Neo had a look of anticipation. He just grinned and handed her a box, "Something I asked Kajiya to make for you when you got your mask. But by the time he finished it, you were already in Vale and I didn't want to potentially blow your cover."

As she took it and placed it on the table, Jaune sat down next to his wife. Neo looked like a child getting a birthday present. When she opened the box and saw what was inside, her eyes went wide. Inside were two armored bracers. One was pink and the other was brown to match her eyes. They each had white accents and had her emblem two-thirds the way down from the wrist, in the middle of the outer arm.

She looked up at Jaune wide eyed and he smiled, "They are more then just armor. You can use your aura to deploy the hidden blades at the inner part of the wrists. There's also a hidden gun on both, around the same area as the blade, but they are only single shot though. I hope you like-oof!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Neo had jumped onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around him to hug him tightly before leaning up and placing a chaste but long kiss on his cheek, just by his lips. She then pulled away with a gleam in her eyes before she rested the side of her head on his chest. Jaune got over his shock and wrapped one arm around her back for hug, "You're welcome, Neo."

That didn't last long because he started to hear a constant tapping sound. Jaune looked over to see Raven just giving him a hard look with her index finger tapping against the table. Jaune just looked at her with a small grin and weak chuckle. Meanwhile, Neo was just ignoring what was going on, Velvet was looking between the couple and unsure what would happen next and Aaeron was just giving Jaune a shit eating grin.

Luckily, a fight didn't break out and everyone finished their breakfast before heading to the locker room to grab their gear. Jaune and Raven walked into the training room while the others were still getting their weapons. Raven turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and he instantly placed his hands on her waist. She looked him in the eyes, "You be careful, Jaune."

Jaune just nodded with a small smile, "I will. You do the same, Raven."

She nodded and leant in to kiss him. He did the same and before he knew it, she suddenly deepened it and shocking him. She heatedly dominated his tongue for several seconds before he quickly returned the same amount of passion. The two heatedly made-out for several minutes and as air was starting to become thin, Jaune felt Raven's aura slowly flow into him.

The two eventually pulled away and Raven gently pulled Jaune down so his forehead was resting against her own. There was a moment of silence between them before Jaune spoke up in a gentle tone, "What brought that on, Beloved?"

She just gave a quiet chuckle, "Just thought I would show you how much I love you." There was a pause, "And to make a point as well."

That made Jaune open his eyes and look to the side to see the other three there now. Aaeron was looking off to the side, trying and failing to give the married couple some privacy. Velvet was blushing a deep red and was covering her eyes with her hands. But if you looked close enough, you could see her one eye looking through a gap in her fingers. Finally Neo was giving Raven an almost challenging glare with her hands on hips and her foot tapping repeatedly.

Jaune just looked at Raven and she just smirked victoriously. She then leant back up and pecked him on the lips again, "Be safe, my Husband." She then sauntered away from him and put her mask on. She then drew her sword and opened a portal. She walked through and Aaeron quickly went after her, placing his mask on as he went.

Jaune just shook his head as the two women walked over to him. He noticed that Neo had her bracers on, the brown on her left arm and the pink on her rightarm to match her hair and eyes. "You're going to push her too far one day, Neo."

The shorter woman just shrugged before pulling her Griffon mask on and resting her parasol on her shoulder. Jaune sighed before turning to Velvet, "You have everything you need?"

Velvet nodded with a small smile and the blush slowly fading from her cheeks, "Yes. I just topped up Anesidora with hard-light Dust so I'm good." She said that as she motioned to the box at the back of her belt. She then looked nervous, "You sure it's alright for me to help myself?"

Jaune nodded, "We have a lot of Dust left behind by Atlas. The only people who use it are Onyx, Raven and me on occasions. But no one really uses the hard-light besides Raven when that blade breaks. So, it's all yours."

With hearing that, she smiled brightly and nodded. She then took out a black face mask, identical to the ones that Pyrrha and Ren wore when infiltrating Beacon. Once she did that, Jaune handed her a black scroll since she was now leaving the Headquarters. When she had it secured, Jaune placed the Wyvern mask on and slashed the air with his flamberge, creating his black portal. With that, the three walked through the portal.

As they emerged on the other side, they were now in one of the usual forest of Anima. When the portal snapped behind them, Jaune started walking in the direction of their informant with Neo and Velvet walking a step or two behind him. They walked for a good thirty to forty-five minutes through the forest. It was mostly peaceful with only a Beowolf showing up, which they easily dealt with. It seemed it would be a peaceful mission, that was until Jaune smelt smoke. He stopped and sniffed the air until he figured it was coming from the direction they were heading towards.

"Smoke. Let's move." Jaune said out loud before he took off in a sprint. The two women followed right behind him. It took another ten or so minutes of them running before they emerged by a riverbed and across that river was a small hunting cabin ablaze.

Jaune was about to run across the river before the sound of gunshots were heard. On reflex he activated Distortion and the Dust rounds bounced off him and in random directions, releasing flames as they hit the next target. As that was happening, he was moving to be in front of Neo and Velvet to act as a shield.

After the barrage stopped, Jaune dismissed his Semblance and looked around for their attacker. His eyes landed on a purple and red armored man with aquamarine hair and golden-yellow eyes. He had his sadistic grin still on his face as he twirled his black and purple daggers between his fingers. Jaune's eyes narrowed as he growled, "Valter Moonstone."

He just chuckled, "Looks like I hit the jackpot." was all he said.

* * *

 **A/N- Here it it! Sorry for the long wait but for some reason this chapter was hard for me to write. Still not sure why. Hopefully that explains the delay and why the chapter is a bit shorter than normal. I hope you all understand.**

 **Now in other news, I have a poll on my profile to see what you all would like me to write next. So, head on over and place your votes. There is still about a week or so until I take it down, so don't wait long. With all that said, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you in the next update!**

 **Beat Reader was Knor Evik Vlakhavlakh, go check him out!**


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